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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!siemens!gypsy!emery
From: emery@gypsy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Why the vax, but not the Unix??
Message-ID: <27400001@gypsy.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 10:59:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: gypsy.27400001
Posted: Thu Jun  6 10:59:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Jun-85 02:56:23 EDT
Lines: 15
Nf-ID: #N:gypsy:27400001:000:372
Nf-From: gypsy!emery    Jun  6 10:59:00 1985



Why is it that some things do not take the definite article?

In particular, why do programs run on THE Vax
			   but run on Unix?  (no article???)

We tried to come up with an explanation, but failed.  I argued that
maybe it's because software is some sort of collective noun, but
this didn't seem to work either.

			Thanks

			Dave Emery
			...princeton!siemens!emery