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From: edwards@uwmacc.UUCP (mark edwards)
Newsgroups: soc.misc
Subject: Re: Down with engineerlish!
Message-ID: <292@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Sep-86 09:10:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.292
Posted: Fri Sep 26 09:10:58 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Sep-86 02:38:53 EDT
References: <5528@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Reply-To: edwards@uwmacc.UUCP (mark edwards)
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
Lines: 38

In article <5528@decwrl.DEC.COM> cherson@nonode.dec.com (David Cherson, WOO/D89 - 236-2229) writes:
>
> 
>>I was under the impression that "functionality" was a legal English word, until
>>I was challenged to find it in a dictionary. I could not.  (Is there anyone who
>>has a dictionary which *does* define it?)  What could I use instead  (features?
>>functionalism???) in phrases like  "a description of a system's functionality",
>>"this product has more functionality"?
>
>You're right, there is no such word in the English language as "functionality".
>But what's wrong with using the correct term - function?  This industry has
>taken the English language and twisted it for it's own purposes.  

    Are you trying to say that the English language is some how a
 complete language, meaning that all the words in the English language
 that can be defined have been ? The English language is a changing
 language. Some people might argue that one of the worst things that
 happened to the language was to freeze spellings of words when the
 pronounciation changed. This is what has made english one if not the
 most difficult language to spell. The sciences especially the new
 ones seem to create ( or butcher ) words for new ideas or concepts
 ( not everybody has studied latin these days). 
>
>I don't know, I expect people who possess a college degree(even in 
>engineering:-) to understand English.
>

     It seems they don't teach English anymore. It went out of fashion
 when the "New Math" came in. I know, I am a product of those schools.
 Of all my  +'s English takes its place in the rear. I'm trying to 
 compensate some how by getting a Master's in Lingustics. Its not that
 the ability isn't there, I can converse with no trouble in Japanese
 with almost any Native ( the almost is another story though).

 mark
-- 
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