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#51
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:12:47 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote: In message , Custos Custodum writes Not many people write "shewn" for "shown" these days. I recall 'shewn' in my primary school arithmetic books, Mind you, it was some time ago. As for Latin plurals, I feel that in cases where the Romans would never have used that word for something (either because the thing did not exist, or if it did exist, we now use the word for something somewhat different), the Anglicised ending is usually preferable. Absolutely! All foreign borrowings should be naturalised and given a regular English plural wherever possible. I haven't had much success with 'criterions' yet, however. :-) I really cringe when I hear the pretentious 'musea', 'stadia' and (topically) 'referenda'. |
#52
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
In message , Custos Custodum
writes On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:12:47 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote: In message , Custos Custodum writes Not many people write "shewn" for "shown" these days. I recall 'shewn' in my primary school arithmetic books, Mind you, it was some time ago. As for Latin plurals, I feel that in cases where the Romans would never have used that word for something (either because the thing did not exist, or if it did exist, we now use the word for something somewhat different), the Anglicised ending is usually preferable. Absolutely! All foreign borrowings should be naturalised and given a regular English plural wherever possible. I haven't had much success with 'criterions' yet, however. :-) I'm surprised. It's actually 'criterion' which seems to have disappeared. These days, both plural AND singular seem to be 'criteria' (even by those-who-should-know-better). The same goes for 'bacteria'. I was listening on the radio to programme about language, and when the use of 'a bacteria' was challenged, a doctor seemed completely nonplussed as to what the problem was. I'm sure that neither Dr Findlay nor Dr Kildare would make such a mistake. I really cringe when I hear the pretentious 'musea', 'stadia' and (topically) 'referenda'. -- Ian |
#53
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:31:39 +0100, Ian Jackson
wrote: In message , Custos Custodum writes On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:12:47 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote: The same goes for 'bacteria'. I was listening on the radio to programme about language, and when the use of 'a bacteria' was challenged, a doctor seemed completely nonplussed as to what the problem was. I'm sure that neither Dr Findlay nor Dr Kildare would make such a mistake. Speaking of bacteria, one of my pet peeves is when all those Oxbridge-educated meedja types pronounce Clostridium Difficile as if it were French. Well, it ain't; it's Latin, where all vowels are sounded and all C's are (well) hard. |
#54
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
In message , Custos Custodum
writes On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:31:39 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote: In message , Custos Custodum writes On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 14:12:47 +0100, Ian Jackson wrote: The same goes for 'bacteria'. I was listening on the radio to programme about language, and when the use of 'a bacteria' was challenged, a doctor seemed completely nonplussed as to what the problem was. I'm sure that neither Dr Findlay nor Dr Kildare would make such a mistake. Speaking of bacteria, one of my pet peeves is when all those Oxbridge-educated meedja types pronounce Clostridium Difficile as if it were French. Well, it ain't; it's Latin, where all vowels are sounded and all C's are (well) hard. Even though the soft C before I and E was adopted in the middle ages, does anyone really know for certain that all Ancient Roman C's were hard? It's just as probable that they were, as in modern Latin-based words, soft before I's and E's. They might also have been a bit like the Italian ch or the Spanish th. On the other hand, if the C's were like Esses, why didn't they simply use a Esses? -- Ian |
#55
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
On 28/07/2017 16:24, Jeff wrote:
It seems that antenna was an import from across the pond, with its plural as 'antennas'. I suspect that the use of antennae was the normal reaction to a 'crass Americanism' by people who though that they knew better. Jeff I suspect you're guessing. From a completely unsystematic vague recollection of literature I would say that 'Antenna, pl. antennae' was the scientific term in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s and 'aerial' remained the popular (?Marconi influenced) version. Aerial remains common usage among people not much interested in radio. Though I suppose antenna may replace aerial in popular culture before long. 'Antennae' was therefore not a back formation, but the natural choice of UK engineers with a classical education. I think the American influence came later. No, look at the pre-war literature, as someone else has done in the Antennae NOT antennas thread. As another example, my copy of the Admiralty Handbook of Wireless Telegraphy 1929 does not use the term Antenna, or its plurals, anywhere in its 547 pages. Jeff My copy of The Services' Textbook of Radio Volume 5 Transmission and Propagation (1958) doesn't mention antenna, antennas or antennae anywhere in its 500 pages. Only aerial and aerials. p.s. Suggest Spuke invest in a copy and read it so he knows what waves he is launching. |
#56
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
In rec.radio.amateur.antenna Gareth's Downstairs Computer wrote:
On 28/07/2017 11:28, Brian Morrison wrote: On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 19:15:37 +0100 Roger Hayter wrote: Whether antennae was ever used in the USA I don't know, and would be interested in comments. With a few exceptions (summa cum laude etc.) the US is not keen on Latin spellings so I suspect not. In the UK, since the end of WWII, the use of antennae for radio related radiating objects is negligible, I have been reading the professional literature for nearly 40 years and antennas is the word used without exception both UK and US plus the rest of the world. I refer you to the professional tome, "Antennae" by Aharoni of Imperial College, published by Oxford. One presumes that each of the lesser souls is an ignoramus. I refer you to William Shakespeare for correct English usage. Those using computers may be in a bit of a bind as not only has the spelling changed drastically since Shakespease's time, but so has the alphabet. One presumes that if you can't spell like Shakespeare you are uneducated. -- Jim Pennino |
#57
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
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#59
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
In message , Jeff writes
It seems that antenna was an import from across the pond, with its plural as 'antennas'. I suspect that the use of antennae was the normal reaction to a 'crass Americanism' by people who though that they knew better. Jeff I suspect you're guessing. From a completely unsystematic vague recollection of literature I would say that 'Antenna, pl. antennae' was the scientific term in the UK in the 1920s and 1930s and 'aerial' remained the popular (?Marconi influenced) version. Aerial remains common usage among people not much interested in radio. Though I suppose antenna may replace aerial in popular culture before long. 'Antennae' was therefore not a back formation, but the natural choice of UK engineers with a classical education. I think the American influence came later. No, look at the pre-war literature, as someone else has done in the Antennae NOT antennas thread. As another example, my copy of the Admiralty Handbook of Wireless Telegraphy 1929 does not use the term Antenna, or its plurals, anywhere in its 547 pages. Jeff The 1912 ITU conference only mentions "aerial", but the French version calls it "antenne". Plural is "antennes" bien sūr. In Radio Telegraphy,PROC. IRE, vol. 10, pp. 215-238; August, 1922. Marconi uses both antenna and aerial. One example :- "Considerable increases in efficiency have been obtained in the aerial or antenna circuits and also in minimizing the losses in the attendant loading coils" He avoids the plural Brian -- Brian Howie |
#60
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Full wave antennae on 137kHz?
On Sat, 12 Aug 2017 20:01:18 +0100, just as I was about to take a
herb, Brian Howie disturbed my reverie and wrote: Marconi uses both antenna and aerial. Just as I would not profess to be an expert in the foreign languages that I speak, I do not think it prudent to hold an Italian, even with an Irish mother, to be an expert in English grammar. -- 73 de Guy G4DWV/4X1LT |
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