A question for the literati just before I submit my dissertation: Whats the difference between "special" and "especial"?

[Chandra]

Help! Both words are in the Oxford advanced dictionary and I really don't know which one I should use the case of "especial/special" or "especially/specially"

Any clues?

Another question I have is whether I have to say

"I'm sure I will pay back for such sacrifice for many years to come"

or

"I'm sure I will pay for such sacrifice for many years to come"

I'm not sure about the word sacrifice either (DH taking care of DS in the early hours), but I wanted to add a little fun note to my acknowlegements page as otherwise it looked very corny

I would say that "especially" means particularly and specially is a lazy way of saying it. I've never heard of "especial" as a word in that sense - only especially.
I don't think you pay back for a sacrifice - only pay for. You back a debt.
I am not an English teacher though - just a very pedantic RE teacher in my time!
Good luck

Not that pedantic obviously....
You pay back a debt

or even pay back a debt
(God - must stop doing this after 2 glasses of wine....)

Thank you Tommy, I should include you in my acknowledgements page Thanks.

Tommy... I'm confused again... I guess I'm paying for so many times he woke up early when I spent the night working, and I'm sure I'm goint to pay back the same way (by waking up early and let him sleep longer) is that paying back

You can have 'pay back such sacrifice' or 'pay for such sacrifice' - you don't need both 'back' & 'for'.

It's because it can be either accusative ('back') or dative ('for'). But not both...

I think. Mind you I've had 3 glasses to Tommy's 2! FWIW I think 'pay for' sounds more natural.

Thanks Carrie