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#1
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Retronyms
William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago
used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch, etc. |
#2
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How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast.
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#3
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will wrote: How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast. Hmm, I think the original meaning was a bit different, i.e. something added to connotate that *now* this is an alternative, wheras at some point in the past, there was only *one* version. How about "wireless microphone", "digital audio tape", "hands-free device", "email" or "smokeless gunpowder". Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need to be called "phones". Karl Winkler Lectrosonics, Inc. http://www.lectrosonics.com |
#4
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On 4 Aug 2005 11:40:51 -0700, in rec.audio.pro "will"
wrote: How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast. Broadcast quality? martin |
#6
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Karl, I think it goes one step further: A retronym is a term that has
undergone a change in context, so that it needs a special modifier in order to get back to the meaning that the term used to have by itself. For example guitars all used to be "acoustic," so the word "acoustic" was never needed in connection with guitars. But nowadays you might have to say "acoustic guitar" in order to make clear that you mean what "guitar" used to mean all by itself. Some other examples from audio engineering, along the lines of "analog tape," might include "externally polarized condenser microphone" and one that I find particularly strange, "wired microphone." Yes? --best regards |
#7
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On 4 Aug 2005 08:52:03 -0700, "Haolemon"
wrote: William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch, etc. Like "chemical camera" or "film camera"? Or "acoustic music"? |
#8
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#9
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In article . com,
"will" wrote: How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast. I suspect that tape recorder was a current formation at one time. It would separate the newer machines from wire recorders, and edison type units. Similarly, reverb chamber would indicate a particular place rather than simply the fact that spaces were revererant. We still speak of dialing a phone, even though we punch it, and news is stll broadcast. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#10
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On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 07:36:50 -0400, Patrick Covert
wrote: We still speak of dialing a phone, even though we punch it, and news is stll broadcast. Errrr.... it is. d Pearce Consulting http://www.pearce.uk.com |
#11
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David Satz wrote: Karl, I think it goes one step further: A retronym is a term that has undergone a change in context, so that it needs a special modifier in order to get back to the meaning that the term used to have by itself. For example guitars all used to be "acoustic," so the word "acoustic" was never needed in connection with guitars. But nowadays you might have to say "acoustic guitar" in order to make clear that you mean what "guitar" used to mean all by itself. Some other examples from audio engineering, along the lines of "analog tape," might include "externally polarized condenser microphone" and one that I find particularly strange, "wired microphone." Yes? --best regards I think we meant the same thing, but as usual you've written it more clearly g Karl Winkler Lectrosonics, Inc. http://www.lectrosonics.com |
#12
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Mike Rivers wrote: In article .com writes: Or "amplifier that you plug a microphone into" will just be called "preamp?" Thus Mike Rivers kicks the hive... Karl Winkler Lectrosonics, Inc. http://www.lectrosonics.com |
#13
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"Mike T." wrote:
On 4 Aug 2005 08:52:03 -0700, "Haolemon" wrote: William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch, etc. Like "chemical camera" or "film camera"? Or "acoustic music"? ....then there's: optical zoom, tube amp, transistor amp [just about everything has gone "solid state"], but it goes back a long way to horse less carriage... Later... Ron Capik - |
#16
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Jay Levitt wrote:
Or, as any Encyclopedia Brown reader knows: World War I. You mean The Great War? |
#17
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Karl Winkler wrote:
Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need to be called "phones". But I believe the retronym here would be "land line". Rob R. |
#18
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Rob Reedijk wrote:
Karl Winkler wrote: Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need to be called "phones". But I believe the retronym here would be "land line". I think that _might_ be a retronym, but it's one that dates back to WWII at least, and maybe earlier. It used to be military jargon, though, and only recently has got mainstream usage. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#19
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Was that not also "The War to Make the World Safe for Democracy"?
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#20
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"Haolemon" wrote ...
Was that not also "The War to Make the World Safe for Democracy"? You think once should have done it? Only one generation of bad guys allowed per round? Which rules are you playing by? Must be nice. Let us know how we can do it hear on our planet. |