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From: gh@utai.UUCP (Graeme Hirst)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: "Controlled experiment": redundancy or retronym?
Message-ID: <477@utai.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-May-85 15:52:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: utai.477
Posted: Wed May  1 15:52:52 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-May-85 16:42:17 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
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In the last week, I have seen two separate scientific articles use the
expression "controlled experiment".  ("In one of the few controlled
experiments using voice input, . . ."  -- Leggett and Williams, IntJMMS,
21(6), p.497)

   Is this simply an egregious redundancy, similar to the popular "past
history", or is it a true retronym; that is, has the word "experiment"
become so loose, even in scientific writing, that "uncontrolled experiment"
is now a meaningful concept?


-- 
\\\\   Graeme Hirst    University of Toronto	Computer Science Department
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