Re: Why does the meaning (and spelling) of words change?

Gary Shannon wrote:

>--- Michael Poxon <m.poxon@...> wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>
>
>>I rather guess that this might be a
>>clue as to why you found
>>so many instances of "computer programme" - either
>>as an (incorrect)
>>reaction by some militant Brit to what he perceived
>>as Americanisation of
>>the language, or possibly as simply a substring
>>within the phrase "computer
>>programmer". Try putting in the search string
>>"computer programme " - note
>>the space at the end.
>>
>>
>
>If this were the work of a single person, or a hundred
>people, I might agree with tour "militant Brit"
>theory.  However, the phrase is ubiquitous on the
>Internet, and the contexts clearly show that it is not
>a substring of "progrmmer":
>
>"... pedagogical strategies in place and the computer
>programme being developed ..."
>"... the author of a computer programme is the natural
>or legal person ..."
>"... copyright in an original computer programme is
>protected ..."
>"... It defines "computer programme" as a set of
>instructions expressed in words codes ..."
>"... representations of a computer programme. Ideas
>and basic ..."
>"... My theory is that our entire universe is a
>computer programme, running on an alien species
>computer ..."
>"... any computer programme, data or information in
>that computer ..."
>
>Try the search yourself.  If usage is the final
>authority then "computer programme" is correct.
>
>
>
I disagree.  I bet that none of those are by programmers.  I think
specialists get to define the terms in a given field.

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