eReader VS. eBook Reader

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I'm ashamed to say it, but up until today I never looked or was that interested in what PRS stood for. I couldn't believe it actually meant what it meant Seems like as good a name as any to me. A PRS, that fits all the devices easily enough.

Sony won't have that, most likely... It'll be the walkman all over again! (only sony was allowed to carry the name "Walkman", all others where portable cassette players).

[Argel]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I've actually had to look this up in the Chicago Manual of Style. E-mail, E-reader, E-publishing. And yes, the E is always capitalized.

Wait for the next edition. Common usage will almost always first drop the hyphen and then, over time, the adjectival part of the compound word will tend to disappear - unless it is helpful in maintaining distinctions, as in 'laptop' and 'desktop', which are subject to the opposite form of contraction.

When I ask Mrs Argel if she knows where the 'paper' is she knows I mean the newspaper. If I say I am launching a new 'site' to advertise my services, people know I mean a website. I say 'phone', rather than telephone, my sound system has 'speakers' and I often carry a 'player'.

Given the sad lack of enthusiasm for something stylish like 'liseuse' the name will inevitably end up as 'reader'. No E, no hyphen, just 'reader'.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Jellby

The problem with "liseuse" is pronouncing the "eu" without sounding like a pedant (for a Spanish speaker)

Nah, it's not difficult, it's pronounced like an 'ø'

Originally Posted by eReaderPlanet

...
Here's a scary thought - many people today refer to MP3 Players as "iPods". Maybe everyone will refer to eReaders as Kindles in the future.

I really, really hope not, but I am afraid it might well happen - It happened to the walkman, xerox, aspirin, hoover.... It has almost happened with the iPod.

I can't understand why I should mind though - perhaps because I have issues with Amazon's Kindle business model and because it's not available here? I think it annoys me that it steals the show from other great ebook readers, when it's only available in USA.

Back to the OP; I tend to use 'ebook reader' or 'reading device' or 'e-reader'. An ebook is the book file, not the device. I think I overall prefer 'ebook reader'

PS: Would pleople mind being the tiniest bit more serious? I've just waded through a great deal of 'unutterably silliness' - it's the wrong forum.

[eReaderPlanet]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I've actually had to look this up in the Chicago Manual of Style. E-mail, E-reader, E-publishing. And yes, the E is always capitalized.

I read a while back there was some organization on a campaign to take the dash out of e-mail, making it just email. Not sure why, and I couldn't find anything about them on the Web.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Ea

Nah, it's not difficult, it's pronounced like an 'ø'

Or like a German 'ö'... or like a short Hungarian 'Ő'... or like a Mongolian 'ө'...

Easy as pie, is what I'm trying to say!

- Ahi

[ahi]

Originally Posted by eReaderPlanet

I read a while back there was some organization on a campaign to take the dash out of e-mail, making it just email. Not sure why, and I couldn't find anything about them on the Web.

Well... there's no dash in 'courriel'.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eReaderPlanet

Take a look at the comment from Sony at the end of this article:

http://gigaom.com/2009/08/04/sony-la...one-will-want/

They actually call their device an "eReader". Just saying

Just goes to prove that you cannot trust public relations people to get it right.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by ahi

Easy as pie, is what I'm trying to say!

I didn't say it's not easy, I said it would sound pedantic if you are speaking Spanish (like, in general, pronouncing correctly other foreign words)

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Sony won't have that, most likely... It'll be the walkman all over again! (only sony was allowed to carry the name "Walkman", all others where portable cassette players).

I don't know why Sony would object to using PRS. I still call my cassette/CD players "Walkman". I would think they would like the free advertising and the fact that it gives their brand enormous market recognition.

Originally Posted by Ea

Nah, it's not difficult, it's pronounced like an 'ø'


I really, really hope not, but I am afraid it might well happen - It happened to the walkman, xerox, aspirin, hoover.... It has almost happened with the iPod.

I can't understand why I should mind though - perhaps because I have issues with Amazon's Kindle business model and because it's not available here? I think it annoys me that it steals the show from other great ebook readers, when it's only available in USA.

Back to the OP; I tend to use 'ebook reader' or 'reading device' or 'e-reader'. An ebook is the book file, not the device. I think I overall prefer 'ebook reader'

PS: Would pleople mind being the tiniest bit more serious? I've just waded through a great deal of 'unutterably silliness' - it's the wrong forum.

Sorry about this, EA. Unfortunately, that's the nature of conversations. They tend to be fluid and take on lives of their own. Thankfully, the "silly' posts were kept fairly short.

Originally Posted by eReaderPlanet

I read a while back there was some organization on a campaign to take the dash out of e-mail, making it just email. Not sure why, and I couldn't find anything about them on the Web.

I hardly ever see it spelled with a hyphen any more and I know my spell checker accepts "email" as the correct spelling. If it's good enough for Spell Checker, it's good enough for me.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I didn't say it's not easy, I said it would sound pedantic if you are speaking Spanish (like, in general, pronouncing correctly other foreign words)

What if you pronounced it "lisiosa"?

- Ahi

[ahi]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just goes to prove that you cannot trust public relations people to get it right.

Language is not prescriptive... particularly not when the language in question doesn't even have a language academy.

The tide is turning, even as you feast upon tomatoes!

- Ahi

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I didn't say it's not easy, I said it would sound pedantic if you are speaking Spanish (like, in general, pronouncing correctly other foreign words)

It can feel pedantic to pronouce foreign words correctly, but do you think one should try not to do it, even when you know how? That is, knowingly pronounce it the wrong way, in order not to sound pedantic? My question is serious - I have been wondering about this, because I prefer to do it the 'right' way if I know how, seems more respectful to the language.

Originally Posted by kazbates

...
I hardly ever see it spelled with a hyphen any more and I know my spell checker accepts "email" as the correct spelling. If it's good enough for Spell Checker, it's good enough for me.

Don't you have a 'body' or 'authority' in USA to evaluate new words or changes to exiting, i.e. someone who decides the 'official' spellings and language conventions? I mean, there must be some base line, and someone must draw it, and it would make sense if it was a state authority.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Ea

It can feel pedantic to pronouce foreign words correctly, but do you think one should try not to do it, even when you know how? That is, knowingly pronounce it the wrong way, in order not to sound pedantic? My question is serious - I have been wondering about this, because I prefer to do it the 'right' way if I know how, seems more respectful to the language.


Don't you have a 'body' or 'authority' in USA to evaluate new words or changes to exiting, i.e. someone who decides the 'official' spellings and language conventions? I mean, there must be some base line, and someone must draw it, and it would make sense if it was a state authority.

There is no such body in the USA that I am aware of. The dictionary writers used to claim to do this but they have abdicated this responsibility and now claim to only document usage. There are groups that attempt to document usage and determine if there is sufficient usage make it a real word but no regulation exisis. American English is a very dynamic language.

Dale

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Ea

Don't you have a 'body' or 'authority' in USA to evaluate new words or changes to exiting, i.e. someone who decides the 'official' spellings and language conventions? I mean, there must be some base line, and someone must draw it, and it would make sense if it was a state authority.

No. They do not:

List of Language Regulators

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Ea

It can feel pedantic to pronouce foreign words correctly, but do you think one should try not to do it, even when you know how? That is, knowingly pronounce it the wrong way, in order not to sound pedantic? My question is serious - I have been wondering about this, because I prefer to do it the 'right' way if I know how, seems more respectful to the language.

I guess it depends on context. If you are giving a scholarly lecture, you probably want to pronounce foreign words and names as close to the original as possible. But if you are talking informally with your friends and family and casually dropping words of foreign origin (but the meaning of which is widely known) or speaking of foreign celebrities, I think it's better to at least adapt the pronunciation to the natural sounds of your main language.