Retronyms

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago
used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch,
etc.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

will wrote:
> How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast.

Hmm, I think the original meaning was a bit different, i.e. something
added to connotate that *now* this is an alternative, wheras at some
point in the past, there was only *one* version.

How about "wireless microphone", "digital audio tape", "hands-free
device", "email" or "smokeless gunpowder".

Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or
alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to
differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need
to be called "phones".

Karl Winkler
Lectrosonics, Inc.
http://www.lectrosonics.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1123181327.719055.131470@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com> karlwinkler66@yahoo.com writes:

> Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or
> alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to
> differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need
> to be called "phones".

Or "amplifier that you plug a microphone into" will just be called
"preamp?"



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Karl, I think it goes one step further: A retronym is a term that has
undergone a change in context, so that it needs a special modifier in
order to get back to the meaning that the term used to have by itself.

For example guitars all used to be "acoustic," so the word "acoustic"
was never needed in connection with guitars. But nowadays you might
have to say "acoustic guitar" in order to make clear that you mean what
"guitar" used to mean all by itself.

Some other examples from audio engineering, along the lines of "analog
tape," might include "externally polarized condenser microphone" and
one that I find particularly strange, "wired microphone." Yes?

--best regards

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 4 Aug 2005 11:40:51 -0700, in rec.audio.pro "will"
<wpmusic@sio.midco.net> wrote:

>How about - dial tone, reverb chamber, tape recorder, news broadcast.

Broadcast quality?


martin

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On 4 Aug 2005 08:52:03 -0700, "Haolemon"
<gary_flanigan@ce9.uscourts.gov> wrote:

>William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago
>used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch,
>etc.

Like "chemical camera" or "film camera"? Or "acoustic music"?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1123206377.432982.35170@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> DSatz@msn.com writes:

> For example guitars all used to be "acoustic," so the word "acoustic"
> was never needed in connection with guitars. But nowadays you might
> have to say "acoustic guitar" in order to make clear that you mean what
> "guitar" used to mean all by itself.

It's gone beyond that. Now, when someone says "the acoustic" when
talking about music production, that's often understood to be the
guitar, not a characteristic of the room. Except in Australia, of
course.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

David Satz wrote:
> Karl, I think it goes one step further: A retronym is a term that has
> undergone a change in context, so that it needs a special modifier in
> order to get back to the meaning that the term used to have by itself.
>
> For example guitars all used to be "acoustic," so the word "acoustic"
> was never needed in connection with guitars. But nowadays you might
> have to say "acoustic guitar" in order to make clear that you mean what
> "guitar" used to mean all by itself.
>
> Some other examples from audio engineering, along the lines of "analog
> tape," might include "externally polarized condenser microphone" and
> one that I find particularly strange, "wired microphone." Yes?
>
> --best regards

I think we meant the same thing, but as usual you've written it more
clearly <g>

Karl Winkler
Lectrosonics, Inc.
http://www.lectrosonics.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Mike Rivers wrote:
> In article <1123181327.719055.131470@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com> karlwinkler66@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Or "amplifier that you plug a microphone into" will just be called
> "preamp?"
>
Thus Mike Rivers kicks the hive...

Karl Winkler
Lectrosonics, Inc.
http://www.lectrosonics.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 07:36:50 -0400, Patrick Covert
<cover@capital.net> wrote:

>We still speak of dialing a phone, even though we punch it, and news is
>stll broadcast.

Errrr.... it is.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Mike T." wrote:

> On 4 Aug 2005 08:52:03 -0700, "Haolemon"
> <gary_flanigan@ce9.uscourts.gov> wrote:
>
> >William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago
> >used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch,
> >etc.
>
> Like "chemical camera" or "film camera"? Or "acoustic music"?

....then there's: optical zoom, tube amp, transistor amp [just about
everything has gone "solid state"], but it goes back a long way
to horse less carriage...

Later...

Ron Capik
-

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <42F375BA.C0F020B1@worldnet.att.net>,
r.capik@worldnet.att.net says...
> "Mike T." wrote:
>
> > On 4 Aug 2005 08:52:03 -0700, "Haolemon"
> > <gary_flanigan@ce9.uscourts.gov> wrote:
> >
> > >William Safire, in his NY Times column "on Language" some years ago
> > >used the term retronym for such things. Acoustic guitar, analog watch,
> > >etc.
> >
> > Like "chemical camera" or "film camera"? Or "acoustic music"?
>
> ...then there's: optical zoom, tube amp, transistor amp [just about
> everything has gone "solid state"], but it goes back a long way
> to horse less carriage...

Or, as any Encyclopedia Brown reader knows: World War I.

--
Jay Levitt |
Wellesley, MA | I feel calm. I feel ready. I can only
Faster: jay at jay dot fm | conclude that's because I don't have a
http://www.jay.fm | full grasp of the situation. - Mark Adler

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Jay, sorry to say, I think you're exactly right with "World War I".

--best regards

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Jay Levitt wrote:
>
> Or, as any Encyclopedia Brown reader knows: World War I.

You mean The Great War?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Karl Winkler <karlwinkler66@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or
> alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to
> differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need
> to be called "phones".

But I believe the retronym here would be "land line".

Rob R.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Rob Reedijk <reedijk@hera.med.utoronto.ca> wrote:
>Karl Winkler <karlwinkler66@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Also interesting are the things where there may be variants or
>> alternatives at one point but later there is no reason to
>> differentiate, like perhaps "cell phones" in the future will only need
>> to be called "phones".
>
>But I believe the retronym here would be "land line".

I think that _might_ be a retronym, but it's one that dates back to
WWII at least, and maybe earlier. It used to be military jargon, though,
and only recently has got mainstream usage.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Was that not also "The War to Make the World Safe for Democracy"?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Haolemon" wrote ...
> Was that not also "The War to Make the World Safe for Democracy"?

You think once should have done it?
Only one generation of bad guys allowed per round?
Which rules are you playing by?
Must be nice. Let us know how we can do it hear on our planet.