It started as a conversation about spelling.
And, more precisely, about spelling mistakes.
And it drifted onto the word “FAUTE”… oh yes, it was all in French 😉
This is what a lady, an English teacher, said (I translate) :
“Many people mistakenly speak of “FAUTES D’ORTHOGRAPHE” (for faults) while a fault has a strong moral value. And in this context, the person who makes it feels guilty. I think, unsure of it, that it is a legacy of the time when the clergy was engaged in education.
As teachers, we are asked not to speak of fault, for what has been mentioned above, but “error” because an error is repairable. Exit the guilt. Moreover, whoever can repair it comes out grown.”
So let’s put things straight :
“Faute” means :
Mistake if it’s an error
Fault in the sense of “sin” if it’s a moral error