[Ads-l] analog(ue) computer

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Thu Feb 4 02:53:31 UTC 2016


Note also that the OED gives 1941 citations for "analogue machine" and "analog devices," authored by J. W. Mauchly with Mauchly crediting J. V. Atanasoff for the terminology.

Fred Shapiro


________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Shapiro, Fred [fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2016 9:41 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: analog(ue) computer

The OED has a 1945 citation for "analogue computer."

Fred Shapiro



________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of James A. Landau [JJJRLandau at netscape.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2016 11:42 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: analog(ue) computer

Google Books gives a 1948 citation for "analog computer"

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__books.google.com_books-3Fid-3D1p1GAQAAMAAJ-26pg-3DRA2-2DPA53-26dq-3Danalog-2Bcomputer-26hl-3Den-26sa-3DX-26ved-3D0ahUKEwi31-5Ff8-5F9vKAhXHVz4KHdF2ACQ4ChDoAQguMAI-23v-3Donepage-26q-3Danalog-2520computer-26f-3Dfalse&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=sRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=7WoSR4aMk7tAO7WG0vQEFJ5g7WXrn2-qijRYfPiIYwE&s=KX0Z9IeXil75TzNRNidm93BJMI0N2YzQwvKQd9rkyEk&e=

Annual Report to the Board of Trustees 1946-1947
California Institute of Technology
January 1948
pages 53, 54, and 68

Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate agrees with the 1948 date.

The phrase "analog computer" probably antedates January 1948, but maybe not by much.  Analog computers have a long history, going back to the Antikythera Machine, but usually they were referred to by their specific function such as "Differential Analyzer".

As for "analogue computer" we have

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__books.google.com_books-3Fid-3DP-5FrxAAAAMAAJ-26q-3Danalogue-2Bcomputer-26dq-3Danalogue-2Bcomputer-26hl-3Den-26sa-3DX-26ved-3D0ahUKEwjam664g9zKAhUC2D4KHcwhBiM4ChDoAQguMAA&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=sRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=7WoSR4aMk7tAO7WG0vQEFJ5g7WXrn2-qijRYfPiIYwE&s=UOsEUdP7NfrbLbuNq4vhzCyqwRkXkTYLlf1IhWShDcI&e=

citing a paper read March 8, 1949, on "An analogue computer for the solution of linear simultaneous equations"

There is also

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__books.google.com_books-3Fid-3Drl4EAAAAYAAJ-26q-3Danalogue-2Bcomputer-26dq-3Danalogue-2Bcomputer-26hl-3Den-26sa-3DX-26ved-3D0ahUKEwiP1vWHhNzKAhVDVj4KHc61DiMQ6AEITDAI&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=sRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=7WoSR4aMk7tAO7WG0vQEFJ5g7WXrn2-qijRYfPiIYwE&s=LFZaFggZzPMOG1SNqQqWYAzZMkPG6TYVcYZH-pF6FCY&e=

from Astounding Science Fiction, 1949 "the analogue type of computer".  It is interesting to note that a decade later Astounding changed its name to "Analog" without the "ue".

- Jim Landau (who last used an analog computer as a junior in college)


_____________________________________________________________
Netscape.  Just the Net You Need.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=AwIBaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=sRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=7WoSR4aMk7tAO7WG0vQEFJ5g7WXrn2-qijRYfPiIYwE&s=rHuVmjX9PXReBoJAroge9FovtZes9d3uyCHbHkmCh50&e=

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=sRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=YHaKHuFtmjd7qwRr680xlrFjMFVZOT7_6KpDhnLR63I&s=dRWzuC4y6ZWSh1Gfa3J6K5RL4ydV3ZvQb2-6TIsMJBI&e=

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list