[Ads-l] micro-

Barretts Mail mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM
Thu Nov 8 19:08:03 UTC 2018


LMAO.

Nice find on Wiktionary. It’s gone some amazing pages on it.

Getting away from prescriptive definitions like “microbrew” and fields like “microanatomy” that operate on a microscopic level, I wonder what is tying these micro words together.

The microlist item in particular surprised me. I think of a list as three or more connected items and I don’t think a microlist would be one or two items, which leaves the question of the size of such a list. 

I see that “microfishing” (http://microfishing.com/ <http://microfishing.com/>, https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-microfishing-trend-20170920-story.html <https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-microfishing-trend-20170920-story.html>) means fishing for small fish. 

According to https://www.maximumyield.com/definition/3435/microfarm <https://www.maximumyield.com/definition/3435/microfarm>, “Microfarming has been practiced since mankind started agricultural practices….”

Microfinancing (https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4286-microfinance.html <https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4286-microfinance.html>) is “… loans, savings and insurance to entrepreneurs and small business owners who don't have access to traditional sources of capital.”

Perhaps this meaning of “micro” is “smaller than conventional or typically expected.”

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 8 Nov 2018, at 10:37, Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Nano- is the new micro-.
> ________________________________
> From: Andy Bach<mailto:afbach at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: ‎11/‎8/‎2018 10:30
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: micro-
> 
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Andy Bach <afbach at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: micro-
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Don't forget my favorite: microbrews -
> Under 15,000 Barrels: The principle *difference between craft breweries*
> and *microbreweries* is the amount of *beer* they are allowed to produce.
> As defined by the American Brewers Association, a *microbrewery* is limited
> to making 15,000 barrels of *beer* and must sell 75% of that product
> outside of the *brewery*.
> http://frankenmuthbrewery.com/craft-beer-and-microbrews/
> 
> So, brewpubs must be a different category. Related: nanobrew
> It is commonly thought that a *nanobrewery* is defined as a brewery that
> produces no more than 3 barrels of beer in one batch. A brand new New
> Hampshire law has added more structure to what a *nanobrewery* is though,
> defining them as breweries that produce less than 2,000 barrels annually.
> https://www.americancraftbeer.com/rise-of-the-nanobreweries/
> 
> On Wed, Nov 7, 2018 at 10:44 PM Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> This prefix seems to be really productive in recent years. Has someone
>> compiled a list of these?
>> 
>> Microcomputers have generally become just computers, but other micro-
>> words abound.
>> 
>> http://time.com/money/longform/passive-income-t-shirts/ <
>> http://time.com/money/longform/passive-income-t-shirts/>
>> Julia Glum
>> microniche
>> 
>> https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/handle/10625/10703 <
>> https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/handle/10625/10703>
>> Chris Gordon
>> microfisheries
>> 
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit <
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit>
>> Wikipedia
>> microcredit, microloans
>> 
>> The archives:
>> http://www.americandialect.org/americandialectarchives/aprxx94059.html <
>> http://www.americandialect.org/americandialectarchives/aprxx94059.html>
>> Natalie Maynor
>> micro-parametric syntax
>> 
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2008-July/083007.html <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2008-July/083007.html>
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> micro-roasteria
>> 
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2002-July/023733.html <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2002-July/023733.html>
>> Gareth Branwyn
>> =E2=80=9Cmicro-genres=E2=80=9D
>> 
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2010-November/104961.htm=
> l
>> <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2010-November/104961.htm=
> l
>>> 
>> Wilson Gray
>> micro-edition (of the OED)
>> 
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2003-March/029937.html <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2003-March/029937.html>
>> Jonathon Green
>> micro-list
>> 
>> http://www.americandialect.org/americandialectarchives/sept93.txt <
>> http://www.americandialect.org/americandialectarchives/sept93.txt>
>> Robert Kelly
>> micro-dialect
>> 
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2004-March.txt <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2004-March.txt>
>> Barry Popik
>> micro-aggression


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