Terminology is a system of terms belonging or peculiar to a science, art, or specialized subject, nomenclature.
33
votes
6answers
1k views
What exactly is an “adverb”?
From comments to “Weekdays” used as an adverb", I learn that The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary says "open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.", shows the word weekdays is an adverb.
It seems to me ...
10
votes
4answers
669 views
A special use of “should”?
I saw a sentence like this:
Wilkinson is contesting the release, and threatened to sue should it be released.
I could understand it but do you know what do they call this kind of use of "should" ...
8
votes
10answers
1k views
What is a word/phrase for using a term for a popular special case instead of a generic term?
Some people use a term for a popular special case in place of a generic term. (Often this popular special case is a particular product in that category.) I think that this is a common phenomenon. ...
16
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?
Certain words you hear in English are only ever heard in a single context. For example, skirl is used to describe the sound a bagpipe makes. Etymonline generously says the word is "rarely" heard ...
11
votes
6answers
8k views
Difference between “commentor” and “commentator”
What is the difference between commentor and commentator? Is commentor or commenter a legitimate English word?
5
votes
4answers
717 views
Garbage/stuff words
I've watched two interviews. One with Grace Park, one with Eliza Dushku.
What one can't miss is that Eliza uses an awful lot of garbage words (or how is it called) — um, so, like, you know, ...
10
votes
2answers
638 views
Are there any rules governing what we call people from different countries?
people from China = Chinese
people from Japan = Japanese
people from Australia = Australian
people from Lebanon = Lebanese
people from Sweden = Swedish
Are there any rules that ...
10
votes
3answers
11k views
Difference between an acronym and abbreviation?
TLA is an acronym for "Three Letter Acronym". Is it also an abbreviation, since it abbreviates the original phrase?
18
votes
2answers
600 views
Whose tense is it, anyway?
I have questions which perhaps should be posted to Linguistics.SE; but since my primary concern is to discover what terminology in discussing English grammar and usage on ELU (and in similar ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
What do you call words that look like a negation but are not?
I can be nonplussed (in fact that is practically the ground state of my existence), but not plussed. I can also be indifferent; but if you are different, that doesn't mean you care, either. What do ...
9
votes
7answers
5k views
How does one pronounce the '@' symbol?
How can I pronounce @ symbol: At / At the rate?
Can I use it in a sentence? Please explain with an example.
20
votes
11answers
5k views
What is the most professional name for “squiggly bracket”?
I am creating a software training video and need to refer to these brackets:
{ }
I usually call them "squiggly brackets" or "curly brackets".
Is there a more professional name?
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it “a SSD” or “an SSD”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
an SQA or a SQA?
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Since SSD (solid-state drive) is pronounced es-es-dee, I'm wondering whether one ...
8
votes
1answer
579 views
Rhyming conventions of Early Modern English
I was reading the poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell when something struck me as odd. Let me quote two passages:
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide
...
7
votes
5answers
4k views
9
votes
1answer
286 views
What is a term for words that are both homophones and homographs?
While there are homophones like bear and bare, and homographs like sow, the pig, and to sow a seed, is there a term for words that cover both categories? The example that comes to mind for me is to ...
42
votes
4answers
831 views
Is there a term for referring to an organization by its city rather than by its name?
This happens specifically often in the technology press:
There's no point trying to ascribe motives to what Redmond [instead of "Microsoft"] does.
We'll see shortly if Cupertino [instead of ...
4
votes
1answer
405 views
Spaghetti and gravy
In Nero Wolfe "Before I die", the gangster's sidekick asks for spaghetti and gravy. After Wolfe's chef Fritz prepares him spaghetti with the type of gravy used for roast beef, it turns out that the ...
8
votes
8answers
8k views
What does “I know, right?” mean?
Not only is my seventh grader using this phrase, but her teachers are as well.
I suppose it means I totally agree with you and you totally agree with me but it sounds like there is a subtle Is that ...
6
votes
6answers
489 views
What is the term for neglectful spelling of words such as “you” as “u”?
The age of texting and instant messaging as we all know has created a phenomenon of using shorter versions of words to save on keystrokes. On tiny keypads or phone buttons this obviously can be a time ...
4
votes
1answer
392 views
Term for mentioning X by saying “I will not say X” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the origin of the phrase “not to mention …”
Is there a name for “I don't mean to…, but” phrases?
Is there a term for ...
48
votes
8answers
4k views
Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy programming/technology: “geek” or “nerd”?
Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy and are involved with programming and technology, geek or nerd?
39
votes
7answers
2k views
Is there a difference between “disc” and “disk” for naming digital storage media?
I thought that a disc was a disc, and it is sometimes spelled disk. I now have got an indication that those two are not the same thing.
In this answer on Graphic DesignBeta, I wrote floppy disc in ...
35
votes
5answers
4k views
What term can be used to describe Yoda's speech?
What is Yoda's speech called? Is there a particular name for it (such as "dangling...")?
25
votes
4answers
6k views
How does the phrase “used to” work, grammatically?
It is common to hear people say "used to" to indicate that they did something in the past but no longer do; for example, "I used to play basketball." How would "used to," used in that context, fit ...
7
votes
3answers
571 views
Term for minimum or maximum
I need to ask a user to request either a minimum or maximum value.
What would be the appropriate label for this?
I have considered extremum but I am not sure if this is commonly understood or ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
What is a good, short, word to describe a software engineer?
What should I call a person who write software, computer programs ? I know he/she is a software engineer, can I call him/her as "Coder"?
10
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?
What is the difference between a phrase and a clause? I tried looking this in dictionary but can not identify the difference. It would be great if I could get an example and formula of what makes a ...
8
votes
7answers
1k views
What does “akin to” mean in etymologies in dictionary entries?
Many etymologies in dictionaries say that some word is “akin to” a word in some other language. For example, here is part of the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary entry for salt:
Main Entry: 1salt ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What are: province, territory, protectorate, state…?
Often a country will have regions called "provinces" or "states". Other times they are called "territories" and "protectorates".
Is there a generic term for these words?
Is there a full list of ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
What term is used for the closing of a letter?
Salutation is the term used to describe the beginning of a letter or other correspondence. What is the term used for the closing of a letter? Here are some examples: Yours truly, Sincerely, Best ...
4
votes
6answers
458 views
How to name a part of a piechart
Which term best suits to describe a part/slice/share/portion of a piechart, disregarding what the chart is about ?
3
votes
2answers
203 views
Words that define a type of word and also obey that definition [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is a catchy word that means (non-)self-descriptive
There are plenty of names for word sets:
synonyms: words that have the same meaning
palindromes: words that ...
3
votes
1answer
308 views
What is the term for words that can be used as the opposite of themselves?
What is the term for words that can be used as the opposite of themselves?
I know there are a few of them out there, it is possible to 'Dust a cake with Icing' and if the cake were on a shelf for a ...
1
vote
1answer
5k views
This weekend vs Next weekend [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What day is next Tuesday?
Imagine that it's Monday, the 1st. The weekend would be the 7th & 8th. How do you refer properly to the coming weekend, "This weekend" or ...
0
votes
1answer
279 views
What is the section before the commas called at the start of a sentence after words such as “well” or “however”
For example:
Well, that was his answer anyways.
Or
However, the answer was wrong.
7
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the difference between orthography and spelling?
The terms "spelling" and "orthography" seem to be largely synonymous. What is the difference really? Is it that "orthography" is a more formal or technical term and hence more well-defined? Or is it ...
5
votes
2answers
386 views
What do you call a verb which accepts 2 nouns?
In English, there are intransitive verbs which can't used with a noun, or aren't being used with a noun (eg. listen, die, ...), and transitive verbs which can be (eg. almost all of them).
However, ...
5
votes
1answer
168 views
Is there a technical term for the degeneration or evolution of words?
Based on this question, I was curious if there is an actual term that describes how words' meanings change or become deprecated over time.
3
votes
2answers
2k views
“Paintings on walls and ceilings” and “painting of portraits, landscapes”
I am creating a portfolio of painter's works and I need to categorize them.
There will be two global categories:
Paintings on canvas
Painting on walls and ceilings
The paintings on canvas divide ...
3
votes
3answers
470 views
“Normalization” vs. “canonicalization”
It seems both normalization and canonicalization are used to describe the effort to transform from an arbitrary form to a unique form. Is there any difference between the two words? Why is there XML ...
2
votes
1answer
235 views
Is there a term for the opposite of the greengrocer’s apostrophe?
Is there a term for the tendency to omit the apostrophe in high-profile items where it would otherwise be expected? – such as “Student Manual” instead of “Student’s Manual” (and “Facilitator Guide” ...
2
votes
2answers
458 views
How to write “calf's liver” on menu [closed]
Calf's liver as an item on a restaurant menu is certainly correct, but one also sees calves liver written down.
What certainly is wrong is calves' liver, except if one assumes that many calves were ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
What is the person called whom you give a recommendation?
If person A gives person B a recommendation, can you call A recommender and B recommendee or are these words made up? I've seen both forms used in everyday language (e.g. magazines), but never in a ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
How can we check if a noun is concrete or abstract?
To put it simple, a concrete noun is a noun with mass (for all concrete nouns), and a non-concrete noun is a noun without mass (for all non-concrete nouns).
Is this true, or false?
Is sunlight a ...
10
votes
9answers
725 views
What is this an example of: “FOR SALE: Car by elderly lady with new body and spare tire”
Historical examples:
Croesus asked the oracle what would happen if he
attacked Persia. The reply: ‘A mighty empire will be humbled’.
Thank you so much for the book. I shall lose no time in ...
18
votes
9answers
1k views
How can I translate the words for the two types of bathrooms found in Russia into English?
I work in real estate, and sometimes I have to translate respective inscriptions from my native Russian into English. I get stuck in some cases where not only linguistic, but cultural differences have ...
11
votes
8answers
529 views
Is there a name/term for phrasing something such that to disagree implicates yourself?
For example:
Now available in all good stores. . .
where to not agree to stock an item suggests that your store is not good, or:
All rational people agree that. . .
where to refuse to ...
9
votes
6answers
4k views
Is there a term for the period between midnight and sunrise?
The period between sunset and noon is called "morning", between noon and sunset is "afternoon". Is there a term for the period between midnight and sunrise?
Edit/Clarification:
Wikipedia defines ...
7
votes
3answers
167 views
“He rolled his toilet things into his housewife”
From C.S. Forester's Hornblower and the Hotspur:
[The naval captain] rolled his toilet things into his housewife and tied the tapes.
ODO does provide a second definition for housewife which ...
