LL-L "Lexicon" 2009.11.05 (02) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

===========================================
L O W L A N D S - L - 05 November 2009
lowlands.list at gmail.com - http://lowlands-l.net/
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)
Language Codes: lowlands-l.net/codes.php
===========================================

From: Hellinckx Luc <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon"

Beste Sandy,

You wrote:

Many professionals would say this process has gone too far, the English used
in computer messages running to whole paragraphs. This gets really annoying
if you use the computer eight hours a day and have to look at the same text
over and over again. And I certainly don't want to be asked questions by a
cartoon dog!


Lol...

In computing there is often the problem of running out of variants of a
word. Currently I'm writing a program who's main purpose ( not 'the main
purpose of which' :) is to change files into different forms. What do I call
this process? 'Edit' means to use an editor to change thing by hand or batch
commands, 'transform' refers to changes made by XSLT, 'morph' means to alter
an image by repositioning points on surfaces, 'alter' suggests only a minor
change and 'change' makes the user wonder if he has to do the change
himself. While casual computer users may be oblivious to all that, many of
my customers are themseves programmers and a new term has to be chosen in
the face of restrictions imposed by many previous and often well-established
usages.


I don't know how you're changing these files, but maybe the words 'reform,
'reshape' or even 'mould' are not taken yet? 'Format' and 'convert' are out
of the question of course.
Speaking of computer lingo, 'save' seems to be on its way to supplant
'bewaren' in Dutch...same goes for 'file' instead of 'bestand'.
Easy game for 'file', if you would have asked a layman what 'een bestand'
meant 40 years ago, most would have admitted they'd never use the word
(apart from a lone scholar who might have said it's synonymous for
'wapenstilstand' (D), 'truce').
Then comes English, in which 'file' has a relatively rich history
(especially in the sense of  a collection, literally a 'string' of
records...for which we traditionally use 'dossier')..."now" also meaning an
electronic file. English has the distinct advantage that the word 'file'
already meant something in 'the old world' (even as a verb). Words with a
strong background (lots of connections with other concepts) are therefore
much more difficult to ignore, whereas new 'standalone' creations (with no
philosophical or historical background) have a much harder time to survive
in the long run.

Oh yes, 'file' does exist in Dutch...primarily it means 'queue',
'traffic-jam'...

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx, Halle, Belgium

----------

From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
 Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2009.11.05 (01) [EN]

Hi Ron, when I sent you the e-mail with the Question: So, do you mean that
only after Robin Hood and 1066 Saxon Society in England became classy? I
meant it as a joke. After all I have a lot of Saxon in me.

But thank you for your lengthy explanation. I agree totally with your
remarks, including the ease of English in sorting out one’s thoughts.

Keep doing what you are doing!

Jacqueline BdJ

Seattle USA

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20091105/fe6eaa9f/attachment.htm>