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Re: When did 'compute' become a noun, and 'x' become a word?
Subject:Re: When did 'compute' become a noun, and 'x' become a word? From:Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> To:Tony Chung <tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca> Date:Sat, 16 Jun 2012 02:40:18 -0700
Everything old is new again. From 1997 OED:
compute, n. Now rare.
(kÉmËpjuËt)
[In sense 1, a. F. comput computus; in others f. the verb.]
â1.1 (Ëcompute) = computus 2. Obs.
1413 Lydg. Pilgr. Sowle v. i. (1859) 73 He that made this compute, and
the kalendre. 1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. iv. viii. The common verse of
the compute manuell.
2.2 Reckoning, calculation, computation. Now chiefly in phr. beyond
compute.
1588 J. Harvey Disc. Probleme 19 According to the historical Computes
euen of sundry these fauorites. 1656 H. More Antid. Ath. ii. ii. (1712)
45 Any new pressureâcannot come into compute in this case. 1705 Bp.
Wilson in Keble Life iv. (1863) 146 The expenses I have been at, whichâby a
modest compute comes to 100l. ready moneys. 1776 Johnson Lett. (1788) I.
314 With encrease of delight past compute, to use the phrase of Cumberland.
1857 R. G. Latham Prichard's East. Orig. Celtic N. 372 My obligations to
his learningâare beyond compute.
â3.3 Estimation, judgement, reckoning. Obs.
1661 C. L. Origen's Opin. in Phenix (1721) I. 48 In the Compute and
Judgement of that all-righteous Mind. 1682 Glanvill Sadducismus (ed. 2)
Ded., If we make our compute like men, and do not suffer ourselves to be
abused by the flatteries of sense.
On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 5:25 PM, Tony Chung <tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca> wrote:
> Read the subject. Nobody argues that compute is a word. John was
> questioning his recent experience with usage.
>
> "Compute" is a verb. But like "priorize" and "nuculous", its incorrect
> usage has taken on a life all its own in jargon-speak. I was chided in
> college for using "digital" and "analog" as nouns so I can relate.
>
> Lee' Azure link provides examples where "compute" is used as an
> adjective, which works but is technically wrong.
>
>
> - Windows Azure Pricing Calculator | Cloud Offers | Cloud Pricing<http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/>Get
> an estimate for your monthly Windows Azure costs based on your compute,
> database, blob storage and bandwidth needs.
> www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/calculator
>
>
> So I haven't seen it used as a noun as John mentioned -- though I haven't
> documented anything like what John's documenting.
>
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