[1045] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Spelling: DISC
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Tue Aug 25 13:01:51 1992
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 11:54:27 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
3 Messages, 48 Lines
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From: pbaker@ltpsun.gsfc.nasa.gov
Subject: Re: Re spelling: disc-with-a-c
>Since CD-ROMs are also CDs, and since the name that appears
>on every CD (and every CD-ROM?) is "Compact Disc" or
>"compact disc," I will continue to assert that the only
>legitimate spelling for a CD-ROM is disc-with-a-c.
>-walt crawford-
How about read-only optical disc, which becomes ROOD (pronounced "rude")?
Anything to save keystrokes...
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From: Walter Giesbrecht <WALTERG@VM2.YorkU.CA>
Subject: Re: Re spelling: disc-with-a-c
This issue has been with us as long as CD-ROMs have been around. I remember
seeing an announcement, in either ONLINE or DATABASE, that the editorial
style would be for the spelling 'disk'; the announcement stated that the
world only needed one spelling for a word describing a round, flat object.
The most reasonable compromise I have seen for this disagreement was that
if it was an optical recording, it would be "disc"; if magnetic, "disk".
Where this leaves magneto-optical discs (or disks) is left as an issue for
the reader to ponder ...
*---------------------------------------------------------------*
| Walter W. Giesbrecht Bitnet: walterg@yorkvm2 |
| York University Internet: walterg@vm2.yorku.ca |
| North York, Ontario CANADA Phone: 416/736-5639 |
*---------------------------------------------------------------*
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From: tdowling@lib.washington.edu (Thomas Dowling)
As I was taught in library school (must've been a *real* slow day)--
Analog discs are spelled with a "c", as in laser disc video and vinyl
record album discs.
Digital disks are spelled with a "k", as in hard disks, floppy disks (or
diskettes), and WORM disks.
The only exception is the compact disc, which is digital but spelled with
a "c".
Has anyone else run across a purported rule like this?
Thomas Dowling
University of Washington Libraries
