Comments on: Jargon or bureaucratese?

By: A Modest Construct

A Modest Construct — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:18:56 +0000

Wednesday’s Word XLIX…

dialog / dialogue
n. A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals.

Conor brought this up, and when I looked into it I was too entranced to leave it as a mere comment. His post was to a great degree about the rebirth of d…

By: Heliologue

Heliologue — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:43:19 +0000

Generally speaking, a “disk” is a magnetic medium, and a “disc” is an optical medium. Strange differentiation, but that’s how it’s come about.

By: Imposcillator

Imposcillator — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:31:22 +0000

Language quirks are definitely a personal thing – and very amusing, I might add.

By: Conor

Conor — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:07:10 +0000

@Impos: I use that disk/disc distinction based on orthographic differences, i.e. if the item looks round, like a CD, I spell it “disc.” I don’t think there’s a set rule about it, but I would die by that practice.

By: Conor

Conor — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:05:49 +0000

Sir, I am honored. And you know what? Maybe I’ll take up the Friday Random Ten meme, too. I need memes to keep me posting. I shall gather up a bushel from my blogroll and and kludge them together in a semblance of online communicative regularity.

By: Heliologue

Heliologue — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:36:56 +0000

That’s it; you’ve inspired me to do a Wednesday’s Word on this issue.

By: Imposcillator

Imposcillator — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:18:13 +0000

Hmm…yeah, I have to say I agree with that little quote.
Might change my way of spelling concerning these things as well.

As for my spelling error, I am so not absolved of my transgressions in English. I’ve been dealing with the language for too long (even writing poetry/prose in it) for me to still have the foreigner’s excuse.

By: Conor

Conor — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:51:38 +0000

This why I have country-of-origin flags! You are absolved of any transgression. Unfortunately AHD just lists under its definition for dialog "Variant of dialogue." Oh really? Thanks so much, I really learned something there. This thread certainly seems to support your argument, though. I myself tend to agree with xwb over here:

I tend to use dialog for computer forms and dialogue for speech. Similarly for computer programs and theatre programmes.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

By: Imposcillator

Imposcillator — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:42:16 +0000

And Brittish is actually spelt British. One t. I fail.

By: Imposcillator

Imposcillator — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:41:39 +0000

Actually I’ve always seen “dialogue” as more of a Brittish way of spelling the word and “dialog” as its American variant. In words like color, colour, neighbour, neighbor, theater, theatre etc, the simpler spelling is always the American one. And it’s not surprising at all.