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Internet-related prefixes

February 15, 2024

Internet-related prefixes such as e-, i-, cyber-, info-, techno- and net- are added to a wide range of existing words to describe new, Internet- or computer-related flavors of existing concepts, often electronic products and services that already have a non-electronic counterpart. The adjective virtual is often used in a similar manner.[1][2]

Cyber-, e-, i, and virtual edit

"Cyber-" edit

Cyber- is derived from "cybernetic", from the Greek κυβερνητικός 'steersman'. Examples: cyberspace, cyberlaw, cyberbullying, cybercrime, cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism, cybersex, and cyberdelic. It is commonly used for policies and politics regarding computer systems and networks (as in the above cases), but also for information technology products and services. Further examples:

"E-" edit

E-, standing for electronic, is used in the terms e-mail, e-commerce, e-business, e-banking, e-sports, e-paper, e-cigarette, e-car, e-girl, e-reservation, and e-book.[1][3]

The lowercase initial e prefix was used as early as 1994 by eWorld, Apple's online service.

"i-" edit

The i- prefix was used in 1964 in "In Watermelon Sugar", Richard Brautigan's American postmodern post-apocalyptic novel published in 1968. Set in the aftermath of a fallen civilization, it focuses on a commune organized around a central gathering house which is named "iDEATH"[4][circular reference][5] The i- prefix was used as early as 1994 by iVillage, an internet community site by and for women.[6] More recent examples include the BBC's iPlayer, and Google's former iGoogle service. It has even been used by companies not in the IT sector for their websites, such as Coca-Cola's now-defunct icoke.com.

Apple Inc. is especially connected to the i- prefix. They first employed it for the iMac line of computers starting in 1998,[7] and have since used it in many of their other product names, including iCal, iSync, iChat, iBook, iDVD, iLife, iMessage, iPod (and iPod Socks), iSight, iPhone, iWeb, iTunes, iCloud, and others. They have said it stands for "Internet".[8]

Promotional materials for the 2004 film I, Robot, inspired by Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name, utilized a lowercase i as a cultural reference to the rising popularity at that time of the prefix in product names.[9]

The letter "i" was also used in the popular Nickelodeon show iCarly, as that show primarily uses the internet as its main theme and to parodize the fact that Apple uses "i-" in almost all its products.

"Virtual" edit

The word virtual is used in a similar way to the prefixes above, but it is an adjective instead of a prefix. For example, it is used in the terms virtual reality, virtual world, and virtual sex.

Linguistic behaviour edit

These prefixes are productive. Michael Quinion notes that most of these formations are nonce words that will never be seen again. He writes that new terms such as "e-health" are unneeded; in this case telemedicine already exists to describe the application of telecommunications to medicine. He similarly points out the redundancy of e-tail, e-commerce, and e-business.[3] Martin likewise characterizes many of these words as "fad words" and believes many will disappear once the technology that resulted in their coinage becomes better accepted and understood. For example, he writes, "when using computers becomes the standard way to do business, there will be no need to call it 'e-business' — it may be just 'business.'"[10]

Spelling controversies edit

There is some confusion over whether these prefixes should be hyphenated and/or in upper case. In the case of e-mail, it was originally hyphenated and lowercase in general usage, but the hyphen is no longer common.[11]

In 1999, Michael Quinion attributed the forms "email", "E-mail" and "Email" to uncertainty on the parts of newer Internet users.[3] In 2003, Ronald Smith prescribed that the e- should always be lowercase and hyphenated.[12] In 2013, the Associated Press Stylebook removed the hyphen from "e-mail", following the general usage of the word.[11]

History edit

The term 'cybernetics' was used in Norbert Wiener's book Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine (MIT Press, 1948). Wiener used the term in reference to the control of complex systems in the animal world and in mechanical networks, in particular self-regulating control systems. By 1960, doctors were performing research into surgically or mechanically augmenting humans or animals to operate machinery in space, leading to the coining of the term "cyborg", for "cybernetic organism".

In 1965, the ABPC The Avengers television series introduced artificial humanoids called Cybernauts. In 1966, the BBC Doctor Who serial The Tenth Planet introduced a monster called cybermen.

Fred J Cook (Winner of the 1961 Hillman Award) in his 1966 book "The Corrupted Land : The Social Morality of Modern America" introduces his book with "such ideals as free enterprise, 'rugged individualism' and laissez faire are anachronisms in this age of CYBERNATION."

By the 1970s, the Control Data Corporation (CDC) sold the "Cyber" range of supercomputers, establishing the word cyber- as synonymous with computing. Robert Trappl credits William Gibson and his novel Neuromancer with triggering a "cyber- prefix flood" in the 1980s.[13]

McFedries observes that a backlash against the use of e- and cyber- can be traced to the late 1990s, quoting Hale and Scanlon requesting writers in 1999 to "resist the urge to use this vowel-as-cliché" when it comes to e- and calling cyber- "terminally overused".[2][14]

A comparable usage from outside the English language is the Japanese prefix denki (電気), meaning electricity, which was used in Meiji-era Japan to denote products exhibiting a Western sensibility.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Straubhaar, Joseph; LaRose, Robert (2004). Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Thomson Learning. p. 6. ISBN 7-302-09576-0.
  2. ^ a b McFedries, Paul (2004-07-30). "The (Pre) Fix Is In". IEEE Spectrum.
  3. ^ a b c Quinion, Michael (1999-01-16). "THE E- netcsPREFIX". World Wide Words.
  4. ^ "In Watermelon Sugar".
  5. ^ "In Watermelon Sugar | novel by Brautigan".
  6. ^ "The Most Influential Women in Technology 2010 - Tina Sharkey". Fast Company. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  7. ^ Vaughn, Paul, "The Mac Guy: Potential buyer wants big sound, and he can have it," 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine April 21, 2007 at mysanantonio.com
  8. ^ Manjoo, Farhad, "Grads Want to Study on EMacs, Too," April 30, 2002, wired.com
  9. ^ I, Robot at IMDb  
  10. ^ Martin, Rodney (2004). Young Writers Guide. Era Publications. p. 150. ISBN 1-74120-040-7.
  11. ^ a b "AP Removes Hyphen From 'Email' In Style Guide". TheHuffingtonPost.com. TheHuffingtonPost.com. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  12. ^ Smith, Ronald D. (2003). Becoming a Public Relations Writer: A Writing Process Workbook for the Profession. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. p. 402. ISBN 0-8058-4260-8.
  13. ^ Trappl, Robert (February 1998). "Preface". 14th European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research (EMCSR'98), April 14 — 17, 1998 at the University of Vienna. Austrian Society for Cybernetic Studies. ISBN 3-85206-139-3.
  14. ^ Hale, Constance; Scanlon, Jessie (1999). Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age. New York: Broadway Books. ISBN 9780767903721.
  15. ^ デンキブランとは [What is Denki Bran?]. Kamiya Bar. Retrieved 25 August 2020. 電気がめずらしい明治の頃、目新しいものというと"電気○○○"などと呼ばれ、舶来のハイカラ品と人々の関心を集めていました [In the Meiji era, when electricity was uncommon, the word for electricity (denki) was used as a prefix for new products to give them a stylish, imported feel.]

Further reading edit

  • Schaffer, Deborah (2001). "The story of e-". English Today. Cambridge University Press. 17 (4): 22–26. doi:10.1017/S0266078401004035. S2CID 144481664. — Schaffer discusses e-, i- and several others.
  • Nunberg, Geoffrey (2001). "How The Web Was Won". The Way We Talk Now: Commentaries on Language and Culture. Houghton Mifflin Reference Books. pp. 187–188. ISBN 0-618-11603-6.

External links edit

 
Look up e-, i-, cyber-, or virtual in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

February 15, 2024
internet, related, prefixes, such, cyber, info, techno, added, wide, range, existing, words, describe, internet, computer, related, flavors, existing, concepts, often, electronic, products, services, that, already, have, electronic, counterpart, adjective, vir. Internet related prefixes such as e i cyber info techno and net are added to a wide range of existing words to describe new Internet or computer related flavors of existing concepts often electronic products and services that already have a non electronic counterpart The adjective virtual is often used in a similar manner 1 2 Contents 1 Cyber e i and virtual 1 1 Cyber 1 2 E 1 3 i 1 4 Virtual 2 Linguistic behaviour 3 Spelling controversies 4 History 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksCyber e i and virtual edit Cyber edit Cyber is derived from cybernetic from the Greek kybernhtikos steersman Examples cyberspace cyberlaw cyberbullying cybercrime cyberwarfare cyberterrorism cybersex and cyberdelic It is commonly used for policies and politics regarding computer systems and networks as in the above cases but also for information technology products and services Further examples Cyber crime crime that involves computers and networks Convention on Cybercrime the first international treaty seeking to address Internet and computer crime signed in 2001 Cybercrime countermeasures Cyber attack an offensive manoeuvre that targets computers Cyberbullying bullying or harassment using electronic means Cybercafe a business which provides internet access Cyberculture emergent cultures based on the use of computer networks Cybergoth sub culture Cybersex colloquially Cyberinfrastructure or computer networks Cybersecurity or computer security Cybersex trafficking the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and or rape Cyberstalking use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual group or organization Cyberterrorism use of the Internet to carry out terrorism Cyberwarfare the targeting of computers and networks in war E edit E standing for electronic is used in the terms e mail e commerce e business e banking e sports e paper e cigarette e car e girl e reservation and e book 1 3 The lowercase initial e prefix was used as early as 1994 by eWorld Apple s online service i edit The i prefix was used in 1964 in In Watermelon Sugar Richard Brautigan s American postmodern post apocalyptic novel published in 1968 Set in the aftermath of a fallen civilization it focuses on a commune organized around a central gathering house which is named iDEATH 4 circular reference 5 The i prefix was used as early as 1994 by iVillage an internet community site by and for women 6 More recent examples include the BBC s iPlayer and Google s former iGoogle service It has even been used by companies not in the IT sector for their websites such as Coca Cola s now defunct icoke com Apple Inc is especially connected to the i prefix They first employed it for the iMac line of computers starting in 1998 7 and have since used it in many of their other product names including iCal iSync iChat iBook iDVD iLife iMessage iPod and iPod Socks iSight iPhone iWeb iTunes iCloud and others They have said it stands for Internet 8 Promotional materials for the 2004 film I Robot inspired by Isaac Asimov s short story collection of the same name utilized a lowercase i as a cultural reference to the rising popularity at that time of the prefix in product names 9 The letter i was also used in the popular Nickelodeon show iCarly as that show primarily uses the internet as its main theme and to parodize the fact that Apple uses i in almost all its products Virtual edit The word virtual is used in a similar way to the prefixes above but it is an adjective instead of a prefix For example it is used in the terms virtual reality virtual world and virtual sex Linguistic behaviour editThese prefixes are productive Michael Quinion notes that most of these formations are nonce words that will never be seen again He writes that new terms such as e health are unneeded in this case telemedicine already exists to describe the application of telecommunications to medicine He similarly points out the redundancy of e tail e commerce and e business 3 Martin likewise characterizes many of these words as fad words and believes many will disappear once the technology that resulted in their coinage becomes better accepted and understood For example he writes when using computers becomes the standard way to do business there will be no need to call it e business it may be just business 10 Spelling controversies editThere is some confusion over whether these prefixes should be hyphenated and or in upper case In the case of e mail it was originally hyphenated and lowercase in general usage but the hyphen is no longer common 11 In 1999 Michael Quinion attributed the forms email E mail and Email to uncertainty on the parts of newer Internet users 3 In 2003 Ronald Smith prescribed that the e should always be lowercase and hyphenated 12 In 2013 the Associated Press Stylebook removed the hyphen from e mail following the general usage of the word 11 History editThe term cybernetics was used in Norbert Wiener s book Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine MIT Press 1948 Wiener used the term in reference to the control of complex systems in the animal world and in mechanical networks in particular self regulating control systems By 1960 doctors were performing research into surgically or mechanically augmenting humans or animals to operate machinery in space leading to the coining of the term cyborg for cybernetic organism In 1965 the ABPC The Avengers television series introduced artificial humanoids called Cybernauts In 1966 the BBC Doctor Who serial The Tenth Planet introduced a monster called cybermen Fred J Cook Winner of the 1961 Hillman Award in his 1966 book The Corrupted Land The Social Morality of Modern America introduces his book with such ideals as free enterprise rugged individualism and laissez faire are anachronisms in this age of CYBERNATION By the 1970s the Control Data Corporation CDC sold the Cyber range of supercomputers establishing the word cyber as synonymous with computing Robert Trappl credits William Gibson and his novel Neuromancer with triggering a cyber prefix flood in the 1980s 13 McFedries observes that a backlash against the use of e and cyber can be traced to the late 1990s quoting Hale and Scanlon requesting writers in 1999 to resist the urge to use this vowel as cliche when it comes to e and calling cyber terminally overused 2 14 A comparable usage from outside the English language is the Japanese prefix denki 電気 meaning electricity which was used in Meiji era Japan to denote products exhibiting a Western sensibility 15 References edit a b Straubhaar Joseph LaRose Robert 2004 Media Now Understanding Media Culture and Technology Thomson Learning p 6 ISBN 7 302 09576 0 a b McFedries Paul 2004 07 30 The Pre Fix Is In IEEE Spectrum a b c Quinion Michael 1999 01 16 THE E netcsPREFIX World Wide Words In Watermelon Sugar In Watermelon Sugar novel by Brautigan The Most Influential Women in Technology 2010 Tina Sharkey Fast Company 25 March 2010 Retrieved 11 December 2013 Vaughn Paul The Mac Guy Potential buyer wants big sound and he can have it Archived 2007 09 29 at the Wayback Machine April 21 2007 at mysanantonio com Manjoo Farhad Grads Want to Study on EMacs Too April 30 2002 wired com I Robot at IMDb nbsp Martin Rodney 2004 Young Writers Guide Era Publications p 150 ISBN 1 74120 040 7 a b AP Removes Hyphen From Email In Style Guide TheHuffingtonPost com TheHuffingtonPost com 18 March 2011 Retrieved 2 May 2015 Smith Ronald D 2003 Becoming a Public Relations Writer A Writing Process Workbook for the Profession Lawrence Erlbaum Associates p 402 ISBN 0 8058 4260 8 Trappl Robert February 1998 Preface 14th European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research EMCSR 98 April 14 17 1998 at the University of Vienna Austrian Society for Cybernetic Studies ISBN 3 85206 139 3 Hale Constance Scanlon Jessie 1999 Wired Style Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age New York Broadway Books ISBN 9780767903721 デンキブランとは What is Denki Bran Kamiya Bar Retrieved 25 August 2020 電気がめずらしい明治の頃 目新しいものというと 電気 などと呼ばれ 舶来のハイカラ品と人々の関心を集めていました In the Meiji era when electricity was uncommon the word for electricity denki was used as a prefix for new products to give them a stylish imported feel Further reading editSchaffer Deborah 2001 The story of e English Today Cambridge University Press 17 4 22 26 doi 10 1017 S0266078401004035 S2CID 144481664 Schaffer discusses e i and several others Nunberg Geoffrey 2001 How The Web Was Won The Way We Talk Now Commentaries on Language and Culture Houghton Mifflin Reference Books pp 187 188 ISBN 0 618 11603 6 External links edit nbsp Look up e i cyber or virtual in Wiktionary the free dictionary Internet related prefixes TheFreeDictionary com Internet related prefixes CyberOaks co Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Internet related prefixes amp oldid 1188340005, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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