Re: silly question
Good afternoon!
Die, die, evil thread. Just die.
Don't give a sigh.
Don't say good-bye.
No more last try.
Just die.
Sigh!
Rob
On Sat, 2005-03-05 at 16:39 -0700, Paul E Condon wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 05, 2005 at 08:54:29PM +1100, Darryl Luff wrote:
> > Paul E Condon wrote:
> >
> > >On Fri, Mar 04, 2005 at 05:26:47AM +0000, Pollywog wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>On Friday 04 March 2005 04:48 am, Blake Swadling wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>next you'll be telling us that it is "aluminum" ... check the periodic
> > >>>table ppl. there is a second letter 'i' in there somewhere
> > >>>
> > >>>if you re going to nit pick about pronunciation you should be a little
> > >>>more careful.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>I confess I have never seen that particular version of the periodic
> > >>table, but I agree with most of what you said.
> > >>
> > >>8)
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>As I understand it, the Aluminum Corporation of America deliberately
> > >>misspelled
> > >>the name of the metal in its corporate name. Americans accepted the new
> > >>spelling
> > >>as a matter of national pride (of which we have a great deal). There was
> > >>also
> > >>some nonsense about it being easier to pronounce, I think.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > Sort of, but if the link below is right aluminum came first, until a
> > union of chemists in the 1800's changed it to aluminium to match up with
> > all the other -ium element names. Then in the early 1900's America
> > decided to change back to Aluminum. The company started off as
> > Pittsburgh Aluminium Company and renamed itself to Aluminum Company of
> > America in 1907.
> >
> > Maybe we should go back to alumen or alumine!
> >
> > http://www.world-aluminium.org/history/language.html
> >
>
> And the whole world has standardized on the metric system, except, of
> course, the USA. Ane we were first! Or what?
>
> My point, which I should have stated more clearly, is that there is no
> single way of deciding these issues. Usually, one side wins because
> all the other sides just get tired and stop fighting. In America (USA),
> we are largely unaware of the existing diversity of opinion on many
> issues. We imagine that other ways are simply wierd and wrong.
>
> --
> Paul E Condon
> pecondon@mesanetworks.net
>
>
Reply to: