eBook, ebook, or e-book?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kennyc

No if we can only settle on the correct spelling of John.

John = toilet

Jon = person's name

[WT Sharpe]

I read ebooks on my liseuse.

[din155]

The world might end before we settle this.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I read ebooks on my liseuse.

In plain English, you don't read eBooks. You stare into a bright light thinking about eBooks.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I read ebooks on my liseuse.

You sir, are an EVIL man!

[tubemonkey]

Since we're a group of book lovers, it's not eBook, ebook, or e-book; the correct term is:

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by taosaur

But I have these two cents which absolutely must be dropped

There is no correct spelling because obviously the issue is still evolving and it's not a settled question. Usage does seem to be dividing along discernible lines, though. The hyphenated "e-book" has become the formal spelling for use in journalistic and technical writing, while "ebook" dominates casual usage. Commercial usage trends toward imitating the eInk and iWhatnot trademarks with "eBook." We're very likely stuck with all three for quite some time.

Of course, as the novelty wears off we'll more often drop the "e" entirely in favor of "book," using "electronic" or "digital" when it's necessary to specify format.

I prefer e-book, but it doesn't matter what I prefer. I think ebook will likely become standard, with eBook being virtually certain to be dropped. The English language just doesn't use capitals for non-proper nouns, and it isn't likely to make an exception for e-books. The capitals in acronyms tend to be dropped when the acronym is word-like. SCUBA becomes scuba, RADAR became radar, while DVD is unlikely to become dvd, as DVD isn't like a word. Aspirin, once a trademarked product became aspirin, a generic word. The Xerox Corporation and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation fight against the trend toward eliminating capitals, fighting to make sure Xerox doesn't become xerox and Kleenex doesn't become kleenex. If someone wishes to use eBook, I'm not going to fight them on it, I don't care if people spell it that way. It would simply be completely counter to how the English language behaves and changes for the B in eBook to remain capitalized.

As for the spelling of John, when it's a proper noun, spell it however you like. But when talking about a toilet, it's "john". Calling a toilet "John" would seem to imply thinking the toilet was a person.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

,....
As for the spelling of John, when it's a proper noun, spell it however you like. But when talking about a toilet, it's "john". Calling a toilet "John" would seem to imply thinking the toilet was a person.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

You sir, are an EVIL man!

Yes. Yes I am.

You have to go back pretty far in MR history to remember the ereader/liseuse wars!

[kennyc]

Now THAT I do remember....it's the 60's and 70's I'm having trouble with...

[WT Sharpe]

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

I prefer e-book, but it doesn't matter what I prefer. I think ebook will likely become standard, with eBook being virtually certain to be dropped. The English language just doesn't use capitals for non-proper nouns, and it isn't likely to make an exception for e-books. The capitals in acronyms tend to be dropped when the acronym is word-like. SCUBA becomes scuba, RADAR became radar, while DVD is unlikely to become dvd, as DVD isn't like a word. Aspirin, once a trademarked product became aspirin, a generic word. The Xerox Corporation and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation fight against the trend toward eliminating capitals, fighting to make sure Xerox doesn't become xerox and Kleenex doesn't become kleenex. If someone wishes to use eBook, I'm not going to fight them on it, I don't care if people spell it that way. It would simply be completely counter to how the English language behaves and changes for the B in eBook to remain capitalized.

As for the spelling of John, when it's a proper noun, spell it however you like. But when talking about a toilet, it's "john". Calling a toilet "John" would seem to imply thinking the toilet was a person.

John or john = toilet
Jon = person
jon = misspelling of Jon

Now as for the English language, it changes and evolves. So who's to say that eBook won't be the word? Heck, lol is now in the dictionary.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

John or john = toilet
Jon = person
jon = misspelling of Jon

Now as for the English language, it changes and evolves. So who's to say that eBook won't be the word? Heck, lol is now in the dictionary.

A toilet may be called "john", but never "John". You can call it an "eBook" if you wish, but there's very little change that becomes standard. Capitals get dropped from everything but proper nouns. Aspirin becomes aspirin. It takes teams of lawyers sending letters to keep Xerox and Kleenex from becoming xerox and kleenex. If iPad ever became a generic term for a tablet, given how the English language changes, it would probably change to ipad.

And John and Jon have different derivations.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

And John and Jon have different derivations.

And whoever added the h to Jon just was wrong. It's Jon. There is, never has been and never will be a need for the h.

[WT Sharpe]

Sharpe, however, requires an "e" at the end to differentiate it from an adjective.