4.0129 Permutations in Language and Pronounciation (2/41)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Fri, 25 May 90 17:16:22 EDT

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0129. Friday, 25 May 1990.


(1) Date: Tuesday, 22 May 1990 2208-EST (27 lines)
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS
Subject: Language Permutations

(2) Date: Thu, 24 May 90 15:11:58 EDT (14 lines)
From: Julie Falsetti <JEFHC@CUNYVM>
Subject: processes

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tuesday, 22 May 1990 2208-EST
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS
Subject: Language Permutations

A brochure announcing the availability to educators of a discount on
Bernoulli Boxes contains the following description of Bernoulli
Technology:

"When not spinning, the stationary media falls away from the read/write
head, preventing head-crash."

The accompanying diagram shows something called "Media" adjacent to the
"Bernoulli Plate."

I see at work here a linguistic process that takes a much used (sort of
collective) plural word "media" (here specifically computer media; but
also relevant in relation to "the media" and "mass media") and treats it
as a singular, similar to "data" as a collective singular, I suppose. I
suppose it is an unconscious process among persons not attuned to the
quirks of Latinisms. Have other HUMANISTs noticed this development? Is
there yet a tend to talk of "medias," for example, or to say things like
"my favorite media is TV"? And are there OED "spies" on HUMANIST taking
note of these discussions, to include the most accurate possible
information in the next OED? I hope so. It changes before our very
eyes. Isn't it fascinating data, in whatever medias?!" (1990)

Bob Kraft, U Penn
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------22----
Date: Thu, 24 May 90 15:11:58 EDT
From: Julie Falsetti <JEFHC@CUNYVM>
Subject: processes

I don't know if this bears any relevance to the question raised about
the pronunciation of 'processes', but I recently completed a course in
operating systems and the word process (a program in execution) was used
frequently in both singular and plural. It was always pronounced in the
plural as '-eez'. The professor began the course using the standard
pronunciation, but after about two days he switched to the -eez form
when students were unable to distinguish between 'processes' and
'processors'.

Julie in New York City