let's get liseuse recognized as a real word

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Well I'm an American myself, and I would certainly call War and Peace a novel. The traditional medium for it being a book.

Fair enough. But would you really call it a work? "I prefer non-fiction works" sounds ridiculous to me. As does "I just loaded some great new works on my ebook." "I just loaded some ebooks on my liseuse" is far less ambiguous. An ebook is a format. It can be on my computer or on my device, because it's a file.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

A book is a collection of papers bound together at one end...

EXACTLY!! A liseuse is not! A liseuse contains files called ebooks.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

EXACTLY!! A liseuse is not! A liseuse contains files called ebooks.

My point was that the term refers to the medium. And I also think "EBook" should perhaps refer to the devices, not the files.

That said, I think ultimately "book" could well be what people call these. Just as the word "calculator" went from referring to various mechanical aids to the modern electronic device we use today. And "computer" from a person skilled at computing information to the thing you're sitting in front of right this moment.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

My point was that the term refers to the medium. And I also think "EBook" should perhaps refer to the devices, not the files.

That said, I think ultimately "book" could well be what people call these. Just as the word "calculator" went from referring to various mechanical aids to the modern electronic device we use today. And "computer" from a person skilled at computing information to the thing you're sitting in front of right this moment.

So you too would like to change our lexicon, but you would rather it go a different direction. The problem with your proposal is that "ebook" already has a definition: electronic book. "Email" means electronic mail - which is also simply a file that can be read on many devices. In the same manner, ebooks can be read on different devices (not just liseuses). So you aren't just proposing a change in the use of the word "ebook", but in the "e" prefix as well.

Until paper books go away, "book" will refer to them. As it is, there needs to be a word for ebook devices. "Book" doesn't suffice because in its current usage it refers to paper books. "I'm going to buy a new book and I don't know what kind to get" doesn't convey the message that one intends to purchase a new device dedicated to reading ebooks.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

So you too would like to change our lexicon, but you would rather it go a different direction. The problem with your proposal is that "ebook" already has a definition: electronic book. "Email" means electronic mail - which is also simply a file that can be read on many devices. In the same manner, ebooks can be read on different devices (not just liseuses). So you aren't just proposing a change in the use of the word "ebook", but in the "e" prefix as well.

I'm not really proposing. It would ultimately be academic. Since it's unlikely that any of us will make a meaningful impact on the complex system that governs a living language like English.

Until paper books go away, "book" will refer to them. As it is, there needs to be a word for ebook devices. "Book" doesn't suffice because in its current usage it refers to paper books. "I'm going to buy a new book and I don't know what kind to get" doesn't convey the message that one intends to purchase a new device dedicated to reading ebooks.

As a word's meaning evolves, so too does its usage. I mean like by its classical definition you would have hired a computer, not bought one.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

"I loaded some books on my book."

"I'm reading a really good book on my ebook."

Books and ebooks are what one uses a liseuse to read.

I'm reading a book.
I'm getting a book.
I've bought that book, it's awesome, I'm reading it now!


What's wrong with that? Why announce you're not reading them with normal ink and paper but on electronic ink and paper or LCD?

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I'm reading a book.
I'm getting a book.
I've bought that book, it's awesome, I'm reading it now!


What's wrong with that? Why announce you're not reading them with normal ink and paper but on electronic ink and paper or LCD?

There's no need to announce it, as you put it, but rather we're discussing a way to refer to our electronic reading devices. "I've bought that book... " might be followed with "Oh! I love that author, may I borrow your book?". You would then need to explain that the book has DRM and you are reading it on an ebook device, so you are not able to lend it to others. There are many situations in which one would need to refer to the actual device. You might want to tell someone that you just put some free books on your... whatever. You might want to talk about what kind of ebook device you are looking to buy. There needs to be a word for it. "Dedicated ebook reading device" is too clunky. We are referring to a piece of hardware for which there is currently no accepted word to describe. There's no need to "announce" anything, just a need to articulate reality (which is the point of language).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

With all due respect, in average American parlance War and Peace is a book, not a work. I can't speak for the rest of the English-speaking world. My car is more accurately described as a sedan, but most people would just call it a car.

To me, and probably every other British person, a "sedan" is something you sit in, has poles sticking out of it, and is carried around by four men. I would never think of the word "sedan" as being associated with a car.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by HarryT

To me, and probably every other British person, a "sedan" is something you sit in, has poles sticking out of it, and is carried around by four men. I would never think of the word "sedan" as being associated with a car.

I added the caveat that I couldn't speak for the rest of the English-speaking world for that reason. I was replying to a fellow American. I used that metaphor to convey that just because you can refer to War and Peace as a novel, that doesn't mean that most people won't still think of it as a book.

[HarryT]

I was actually agreeing with you, in the sense that it's a good example of the same word meaning different things to different people.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I was actually agreeing with you, in the sense that it's a good example of the same word meaning different things to different people.

I would love to spend some time in the UK to find out how different American English is from British English. The only differences that come to mind are of the color/colour variety, but - as you pointed out- I'm sure there are many that I am completely unaware of. Even in the US English usage differs wildly from state to state (e.g. I wait in line and up North they wait on line).

You're cool Harry.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

There's no need to announce it, as you put it, but rather we're discussing a way to refer to our electronic reading devices. "I've bought that book... " might be followed with "Oh! I love that author, may I borrow your book?". You would then need to explain that the book has DRM and you are reading it on an ebook device, so you are not able to lend it to others. There are many situations in which one would need to refer to the actual device. You might want to tell someone that you just put some free books on your... whatever. You might want to talk about what kind of ebook device you are looking to buy. There needs to be a word for it. "Dedicated ebook reading device" is too clunky. We are referring to a piece of hardware for which there is currently no accepted word to describe. There's no need to "announce" anything, just a need to articulate reality (which is the point of language).

If I would call it a liceause people would look at me as if I'm crazy... I actually had that happen on sunday already. I mentioned this thread at the breakfast table. And my husband, who has been reading electronically as long as I am, had no idea what I was talking about. He kept thinking he missed a word or something (and I did pronounce it the correct way even!). So, I'll just keep on calling it an electronic book, ebook reader, or just a book.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

If I would call it a liceause people would look at me as if I'm crazy... I actually had that happen on sunday already. I mentioned this thread at the breakfast table. And my husband, who has been reading electronically as long as I am, had no idea what I was talking about. He kept thinking he missed a word or something (and I did pronounce it the correct way even!). So, I'll just keep on calling it an electronic book, ebook reader, or just a book.

We're trying to introduce it as a new word into the lexicon, so of course people won't know what it means at first! Start calling your device a liseuse and people will only have to ask what it means once. It's nonsensical to discard a brand new word because no one knows what you mean. "Email" didn't mean anything to me before I knew what the word referred to. Your husband did miss a word - because we just coined it here on MR!

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

We're trying to introduce it as a new word into the lexicon, so of course people won't know what it means at first! Start calling your device a liseuse and people will only have to ask what it means once. It's nonsensical to discard a brand new word because no one knows what you mean. "Email" didn't mean anything to me before I knew what the word referred to. Your husband did miss a word - because we just coined it here on MR!

I still don't see the need to make a new word for a device that already has a word: ereader, or electronic reader.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

If I would call it a liceause people would look at me as if I'm crazy... I actually had that happen on sunday already. I mentioned this thread at the breakfast table. And my husband, who has been reading electronically as long as I am, had no idea what I was talking about. He kept thinking he missed a word or something (and I did pronounce it the correct way even!). So, I'll just keep on calling it an electronic book, ebook reader, or just a book.

+1

book is a generic term for various types of books - paperback, hardback, electronic just as file is a generic term for various kinds of files - word, text, jpg...

ebook is a term that is used both for an ebook reader and for a specific type of book. There is nothing wrong with that as the meaning is conveyed by the usage as is true of many words in English.