In the boardgame hobby, I keep seeing people use the term "mechanic" instead of "mechanism". "Mechanic" is a person who repairs a car or a machine. I wonder how the use of "mechanic" in this manner started. I prefer to use "mechanism", because I can't get the picture of a guy poring over a car engine out of my mind.
How about "die" and "dice"? I have always thought "die" is singular and "dice" is plural. However after I did some searching on the internet, I am now less sure. At first it seems that in the US people use "die" and "dice" for singular and plural forms respectively, and in the UK people use "dice" for both singular and plural forms. I am only sure there is no such thing as "dices". Later I found some websites which say that using "die" as the singular form is just old English. In modern English, "dice" is both singular and plural. So it's not about UK or US English. I guess I am old fashioned. I use "die" as singular and "dice" as plural.
In Malaysia, schools teach UK English. "Favour", not "favor"; "emphasise", not "emphasize". So I try to stick to the UK spelling. The only exception is probably Civilization (and other games with this word). It's the name of the game, so I don't want to change that. There are probably more games with words in their titles which are spelled differently in US English and UK English, but I can't think of any at the moment. Any that you can think of? Please add a comment. Or start a Geeklist at BGG.
Source of photo: The Telegraph - Blogs.
17 comments:
words are tools of communication , as long as a general public understand it , it doesnt matter what form of the word we chose to convey the meaning. From what i see, some words have take on new meaning in different circle or culture. but that doesn't matter as long as everyone understand what it means. Language is our tool, letz not be enslave by the tool we created.
That's a valid point, although I can't say I agree 100%. I feel that for a tool to be fully effective, there are still certain rules or conventions that should be in place and followed. Taking a boardgame analogy (as is appropriate for this blog :-) ), you can play a boardgame with your own house rules and have fun, but not everyone will know or understand or like the house rules. There should still be a common standard that we try to adhere to.
I do find that I tend to be more uptight about language rules though. I don't mind so much new words which help to convey new meaning, but I prefer not to modify words unnecessarity. LOL is OK, but I don't understand why LOLZ.
easy, color, colour.
and yes, replace all the Zs with Ss
You r right that "die" and "dice" were the initial form of singular vs plural but I suppose since the word "die" is also used to denote someone leaving this world, the modern usage streamlined that to "dice".
Just like how "Google" is now a verb meant to do a search thru the Internet instead of "search". :P
Mechanics (with an "s") actually do mean the working part of something so when used as "the mechanics of this boardgame", it's correct.
Mechanic without an "s" refers to the job of a person who fixes cars (as you mentioned). The confusing thing is the plural of these type of people is called... "mechanics". haha.
So perhaps it's time we go back to I Before E, Except After C. :P
Ha ha... I may need to go find a photo with two car mechanics.
I used to feel similarly that "mechanic" was not correct. But, after looking it up, in fact "mechanic" is a legitimate term that is synonymous with mechanism.
I did search a handful of dictionary websites for their definitions of "mechanic" (those on the first page of Google search results), but I didn't find any which also defines "mechanic" as "mechanism". However I did find a discussion thread where the commenter says "mechanic" can mean "mechanism" too. I think he is a PC game or console game player, so I am guessing "mechanic" is commonly used to mean "mechanism" in video games discussions too.
If you don't have a car, you can buy a diagnostic tool that will help you. The most common type of auto diagnostic tool is OBD-II. These tools will give you an idea of the fault codes in your vehicle. To know more about fixed car reader, check here.
In my opinion, those are different words for different situations.
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It's fascinating how language evolves in hobbies like board gaming. While I stick to 'mechanism' and 'die/dice' traditionally, seeing 'mechanic' and 'dice' for both singular and plural is becoming more common. Language adapts with the times.
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Great insights on the nuances of language in the board game community! It's interesting to see how "mechanic" has evolved from its traditional meaning to become a staple term in game design. Your exploration of "die" and "dice" is also spot on, reflecting how language can shift over time while still maintaining some regional distinctions. I appreciate your attention to UK vs. US spelling in game titles—it's a reminder of how even in gaming, language preferences can play a role. Thanks for sharing these thoughtful observations
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