How should we spell it? Email used to be "e-mail", but it was never eMail (except perhaps for sTeve jObs).

E-book with a hyphen has some merit because then you can talk about p-books, and pbooks sounds a bit odd. What do you prefer?

I tend to use e-book, myself, but it's more just the habit I've developed. :shrug:

I could add a poll to this for you, if you would like ...

I use eBook and pBook. I suppose I could also use hcBook and pbBook as well if I wanted to differentiate.

I could add a poll to this for you, if you would like ...
Thanks, NatCh, please do, but I thought I included one. It shows up in my browser, but maybe I pressed the wrong buttons.

I think it should be book for digital books and pbook for paper books. :)

I think it should be book for digital books and pbook for paper books. :)
:2thumbsup:2thumbsup:2thumbsup

I think it should be book for digital books and pbook for paper books. :)

Nice! :-)

I like this, but I’m not sure how likely it really is, even if most books are digital one day. Despite wide adoption of e-mail I rarely hear people use just “mail” to mean “e-mail.” I do hear explicit “physical mail” or (more rarely) “p-mail” though. So maybe we’ll get to the point that just saying “book” will evoke “e-book or p-book?” (Before the Singularity, I mean.)

does it really matter?

I voted for e-book, but only on principle. I'm not sure it will work out long term. eBook is too reminiscent of mac; ebook risks people pronouncing it eb-ook.

What about EBook and E-Book as well?

Thanks, NatCh, please do, but I thought I included one. It shows up in my browser, but maybe I pressed the wrong buttons.Ah, yeah, it's there, I must have caught you before you finished posting it. :grin:

ebook. If we'll have to capitalize or hyphenate every time we use this word we will find ourselves using it much less often :). At least I know I will.

Dave, I agree. I think "ebook" will triumph in the end, if it hasn't already.

@jamesdmanley -- not really!

I seem to have gravitated towards ebook, ebook reader, pbook - probably from reading posts here. I know I also use email but I don't use vmail or pmail - I use voice mail and...snail mail.

ebook. If we'll have to capitalize or hyphenate every time we use this word we will find ourselves using it much less often :). At least I know I will.

I agree with Dave. I'm old enough that I didn't take typing (oh, it's called keyboarding now I think) in school & have trouble with fumble fingers.

When I am reading what someone else has typed, I do have no problem with reading ebook, pbook, eBook, or pBook. it is when it's Ebook or Pbook that is it becomes a small bother.

I agree with Dave. I'm old enough that I didn't take typing (oh, it's called keyboarding now I think) in school & have trouble with fumble fingers.

Me too. In fact, my office mates accuse me of typing with my elbows. Thus I vote for ebook.

I prefer to read ebooks on my liseuse. The other sort I call "legacy books" or pbooks.

I prefer to read ebooks on my liseuse. The other sort I call "legacy books" or pbooks.Liseuse is a leather cover for paper books. I'd go with Lisette. Of course that would make my wife jealous...:laugh4:

How should we spell it? Email used to be "e-mail", but it was never eMail (except perhaps for sTeve jObs).

E-book with a hyphen has some merit because then you can talk about p-books, and pbooks sounds a bit odd. What do you prefer?

It was always eMail for me... ;)

But I'm not a native speaker / writer, though.. come to think of it.. a programmer..

So it should be eBook and pBook but I'm used to p-book and I can't distinguish the sound .. ;)

Dirk :cool:

Liseuse is a leather cover for paper books.

According to Zelda it's also the preferred French term for the "electronic device for displaying ebooks", at least over in the name your device thread. I don't actually know, one of my ambitions is to never visit France.

According to Zelda it's also the preferred French term for the "electronic device for displaying ebooks", at least over in the name your device thread. I don't actually know, one of my ambitions is to never visit France.Actually Zelda and her relations are trying to instate the name as a standard for ebook reading devices in French. This word already exists with five different definitions, none of which resembles anything to do with electrons. I think they're going overboard with this, but that's my two bits.

Why would a person endeavour to not visit the seat of civility, culture, and really good food?

Merthinks that such a person must not like freedom or democracy.

Yvan: what are the other meanings of 'liseuse?'

Personally, I think that the device used to read digital texts should itself be called an "ebook," but I think that I stand in the minority on that account.

Personally, I think that the device used to read digital texts should itself be called an "ebook," but I think that I stand in the minority on that account.
Not according to the poll results when I took the poll today:

ebook -- 26 -- 60.47%
e-book -- 8 -- 18.60%
eBook -- 9 -- 20.93%

Why would a person endeavour to not visit the seat of civility, culture, and really good food?

Merthinks that such a person must not like freedom or democracy.

Yvan: what are the other meanings of 'liseuse?'

Personally, I think that the device used to read digital texts should itself be called an "ebook," but I think that I stand in the minority on that account.One of the definitions is the one I gave and knew since I was a kid: a book protector. Then there is a small table for books, a reading lamp, a piece of clothing for reading comfort and a small knife used as a bookmarker, I guess a remnant of the days when you had to separate the pages when you bought a book. Remember those? I still have a few my grandma left when she died, I keep them virgin.

Your calling the devices 'ebooks' has some history behind. I vividly remember the first devices being called that way. I only changed my way of calling them that when joining MR.

Not according to the poll results when I took the poll today:

The poll is about how to spell the word, not what it means.

To most of us I think an ebook is the text. The device is a laptop, or a computer, or a liseuse.

The device is a laptop, or a computer, or a liseuse.

Keep repeating it... that'll make it true! :thumbsup:

Given my druthers, the device--that is, a dedicated, or at least faithful with perhaps an occasionally wandering glance, device made for displaying primarily text and static images--would be an ebook, or an electronic book onibus-alacious compenditor.

Further, I refer to the documents that we avid simians view and turn the squiggles therein to abstract concepts as "digital texts." Besides providing clarity (if not concision), by utilising such a phrase, am removing the power that the publishing hegemony has over the reader as a subject by redefining the object in the relationship.

That is to say, I really do not care about the delivery system of the file or ideas therein, so I attempt to distance myself from referring to the electronic file as a 'book.' This is especially important when one considers that not every file is an actual novel or reference work, and could comprise merely a short story or whathaveyou.

There's quite a bit of whathaveyou flying about the interwebs these days.

@Yvan: a knife to read books? Thought that all the cellulose-devotees were big on preserving books. ;-)

Interesting to note that a word relating to reading can have so many connotations.

@Yvan: a knife to read books? Thought that all the cellulose-devotees were big on preserving books. ;-)Books used to come "uncut" -- that is the pages were not separate from each other at the edges. In order to read them you had to cut the pages apart.

Have a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Uncut_book_p1190369.jpg, and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book#Bookbinding

It's much too late now, but maybe the text itself should be called an "etext" and a dedicated device for displaying it (as opposed to a general purpose computer) should be an "ebook". What a rats' nests is English usage!

I like eBook or ebook. I suspect as ebooks become more popular they will end up just being called books. This seems sensible otherwise we would need eMagazines and eNewspapers which would get a bit silly.

I believe this poll underscores the fundamental trait of human beaings.

Laziness is the word :)

I prefer ebook because it takes fewer keystrokes (including the shift key) to type it.

Guess I am lazy.

I confess myself exquisitely unperturbed by my typographical indolence. :wink2:

I seem to have gravitated towards ebook, ebook reader, pbook - probably from reading posts here. I know I also use email but I don't use vmail or pmail - I use voice mail and...snail mail.

So ebook and snail book, then? :)

So ebook and snail book, then? :)

Yes, a snail book being one that I order from Amazon and arrives via....snail mail. Yes, good point.:)

I chose "eBook", perhaps I have caught the iPod contagion, but ebook works as well for me. But never e-book.

Why? because I don't like it.

For a paper book, I prefer the term "TreeWaste"

"ebook" will win out. Even though I type a decent speed (35-45 words a minute) I prefer having one less stroke to type. Most languages whether written or not tend to shorten things through time.

ebook, pbook.... but what about audio books? abook anyone?





I prefer ebook because it takes fewer keystrokes (including the shift key) to type it.

Guess I am lazy.

Hi Hidari

Couldn't help but notice your tag line, waiting for a pocket pc e-ink reader. Just under the tag line on my monitor was an ad for Netronix (see netronix in the wiki). They were advertizing ODM/OEM e-Book solutions with PVI e-paper display. Their new 9.7" display is using Win CE which is the underlying OS for Pocket PC. Looks like they are getting close to meeting your needs.

Dale

I think ebook is better because it's more energy efficient - one less character. In years to come we will all think it rather hilarious that we used to cut down trees in order to produce a medium to disseminate knowledge. Old books will be called 'woodies' and ebooks will be know as 'ebees' or 'ebs' for short in order to conserve energy and be more electron friendly :D.

Tommy

Ta for the info. As I am writing this there is an advert from Netronix at the top of Mbile Read. Yes, I am following the thread of the ODM/OEM. At this point in am more interested in the EB-100. Though, Still it might be a wee too big for what I am looking for. :thumbsup:


Hi Hidari

Couldn't help but notice your tag line, waiting for a pocket pc e-ink reader. Just under the tag line on my monitor was an ad for Netronix (see netronix in the wiki). They were advertizing ODM/OEM e-Book solutions with PVI e-paper display. Their new 9.7" display is using Win CE which is the underlying OS for Pocket PC. Looks like they are getting close to meeting your needs.

Dale

Ta for the info. As I am writing this there is an advert from Netronix at the top of Mbile Read. Yes, I am following the thread of the ODM/OEM. At this point in am more interested in the EB-100. Though, Still it might be a wee too big for what I am looking for. :thumbsup:

I believe the eB-100 runs Linux 2.6. oNly the eB-300 runs Win-CE which is kind of strange that they would have different OS's. They do advertise touch screen as an option for the eB-100. Perhaps they switch OS's when you get that option.

Dale

Personally, I prefer e-book, but that's because it follows broadcasting reading practices. I read a lot of stuff on air at the radio station I work at. The dash makes it easier for me to pronounce. I can understand the apple "iBefore everything" hook as a marketing scheme, but it does kind of irk me when I've got to read about such a product on the air.

It's much too late now, but maybe the text itself should be called an "etext" and a dedicated device for displaying it (as opposed to a general purpose computer) should be an "ebook". What a rats' nests is English usage!

heh, actually i completely agree with you, and received detailed counter arguments in this other thread (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20697) (in the rare non-absurd posts).

i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who sees the logic in that...

I guess for speaking in English and other languages; but some languages there is no spacingbetweenwords;forexampleinjapanese. Even when I type romanji to a friend I never space between words and they have no problem understanding it. It just takes time to get used too...

IE. Latin had no spacing between words... So the Romans would say email.....


Personally, I prefer e-book, but that's because it follows broadcasting reading practices. I read a lot of stuff on air at the radio station I work at. The dash makes it easier for me to pronounce. I can understand the apple "iBefore everything" hook as a marketing scheme, but it does kind of irk me when I've got to read about such a product on the air.

I guess for speaking in English and other languages; but some languages there is no spacingbetweenwords;forexampleinjapanese. Even when I type romanji to a friend I never space between words and they have no problem understanding it. It just takes time to get used too...

IE. Latin had no spacing between words... So the Romans would say email.....

Of course for English. I'm sure Japanese has its own broadcast writing standards. Latin's a dead language for all intents and purposes, so that's kind of a moot point. All Latin based languages these days (French, Spanish, etc.) follow English style spacing styles.

IE. Latin had no spacing between words... So the Romans would say email.....

I can't speak for Asian languages, but in European languages innovations like interword separation, miniscule letter-forms, and rich punctuation sets greatly increased legibility. IWOULDHATETOREADTEXTLIKETHISALLDAY.ITWOULDPROBABLY DRIVEMEQUITEQUITEMAD.

So “e-book” for me. :-)

Latin's a dead language for all intents and purposes, so that's kind of a moot point.

Latin's a dead language,
As dead as it can be.
First it killed the Romans,
Now it's after me.
-- unknown

Dead? If you speak English, you use it every day!

Dead? If you speak English, you use it every day!

or if you speak french, too...

Dead? If you speak English, you use it every day!Heh, English doesn't so much borrow words from other languages as it waits 'til they get drunk, lures them down dark allies, knocks them on the head and goes through their pockets for loose vocabulary.

Wish I could remember who it was that said that originally. :whistle:

Heh, English doesn't so much borrow words from other languages as it waits 'til they get drunk, lures them down dark allies, knocks them on the head and goes through their pockets for loose vocabulary.

Wish I could remember who it was that said that originally. :whistle:

I believe the quote came from Booker T. Washington.

Personally, regarding crazy grammar-word formations, one cannot beat German. Dang! Just forgot that milch-cow-big-combine dealie word. In German one would request the toolforturningthreadedotherdevices. In English, I say "hey, hand me that wrench."

Seriously. The device we use that replicates a book is a book. Since it is "electronic," and Americans love to abbreviate words, said device is an "E(lectronic)book." Foucalt and Derrida might have something to say about naming a device a "reader."

'Course, I'm a sentient squid from another dimension. What do I know?

LQQK!! It's an eBQQK...

I believe the quote came from Booker T. Washington.Excellent! Yes, thank you, Madam.

With your help, I found the original statement (http://www.answers.com/topic/booker-t-washington):We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

Amusingly enough, the first Google result on the search was this very thread. :nice:

It's not Booker T Washington. You first heard it from me, on this forum. I was quoting James D. Nicoll:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow
words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways
to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

You first heard it from me, on this forum.'fraid not, Nate. :unafraid:

I've heard that quote tossed around many years before I met you. :shrug:

I was quoting James D. Nicoll:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow
words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways
to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."Mr. Nicoll apparently did say it too, but since he wasn't born until 1961, and Mr. Washington died in 1915, I think he probably has prior claim to it.

Unless of course someone knows definitively that Mr. Washington didn't say it ... I certainly don't know of my own knowledge either way. :shrug:

here we go... (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bookertwa399975.html)

This quote has also been mis-attributed to a number of other people, including Mark Twain. Can you find an original source for the quote?

On the web? Not likely. And doing it any other way is a job for an academic scholar, which I make no claims to being (though I am quite proud of my Marital B.S. in Victorian Literature :wink:).

This quote has also been mis-attributed to a number of other people, including Mark Twain. Can you find an original source for the quote?

For these kinds of questions try http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page

Dale

Thanks, Dale.
SPEW WARNING: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_D._Nicoll

That's moving in on a fairly definitive answer then.

who *is* this man ? i want to buy him (several) drinks and just let him ramble on about whatever passes through his head. thank god he has a blog (and that's something i don't say very often).

Dead? If you speak English, you use it every day!

Incorrect. English is a Germanic language at its base. There are some Latin influences, but it's mostly Germanic.

Most of the Latin influences come by way of French.

English is the mentally-deficient offspring of cousins.

Yes, Old English (think: Beowulf) was Germanic. Germanic languages are one branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Another branch contains Latin and it's derivatives, including French. Germanic languages and Romance languages are thus cousins.

At the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the Old English language was forcibly raped by it's aggressive cousin, and what we today call English is the awkward result of that unholy union.

Since the conquerors imposed their language, the Latinate terms came to be viewed as the "fancier" terms, while the Germanic terms came to be considered more "common". We still speak both languages, which is why we have cars and automobiles.

(Don't confuse this with the current attack on "reader" by "liseuse" - that's an Australian thing.)

Both languages. I speak American, the only language this world needs. Sadly, seems like the good god-fearing language of Amurrica is besieged by threats coming from all four sides of our wonderful planet.

I thought guys named 'Norman' were mostly milquetoast bean-counters--how did they conquer an entire country?

I say ebook. I don't like using a hyphen unless absolutely necessary. I don't like the eBook method because looks too much like eBay, like a web 2.0 way of spelling stuff.

then again how about iEbook? Of course these would be the Apple versions of ebook.

then again how about iEbook?

Aieee! :eek:

I thought guys named 'Norman' were mostly milquetoast bean-counters--how did they conquer an entire country?

The Norman Conquest was so-called because the invaders came from Normandy; not because it was an army of chaps all called Norman.
That would have been a logistical nightmare :).

The Norman Conquest was so-called because the invaders came from Normandy; not because it was an army of chaps all called Norman.
That would have been a logistical nightmare :).

hee hee hee !! :p