4 ms·

What's the linguistic term for retroactively applying a word like this? Its like referring to a horse-drawn cart as a "medieval car". I don't think calligrapher

by galago 10y ago

What's the linguistic term for retroactively applying a word like this? Its like referring to a horse-drawn cart as a "medieval car". I don't think calligraphers would get too upset about it--and maybe contemporary English actually allows it. It is the reverse of how these things were thought of though in the past.

thaumasiotes 10y ago
> Its like referring to a horse-drawn cart as a "medieval car". I don't think calligraphers would get too upset about it--and maybe contemporary English actually allows it. I see it as more like referring to medieval nobles as "hunting with dogs", when the actual term in use at the time would have been "hounds". If you don't think it's weird for, say, a Russian guy to refer to ancient letter forms using a Russian word for that sort of category rather than "script", you also shouldn't think it's weird for English speakers to use their word rather than an archaism.
- galago 10y ago
  No, a 'font' is a tool for the mechanical representation of text. First with wood/metal, then with later technologies. Hand drawn letters are in scripts or styles. I think I've been too charitable with my words.
  - thaumasiotes 10y ago
    As used, a "font" is a particular inventory of letter forms, distinguishing, say, ℂ from C, when both of those represent a platonic capital letter 'c'. That is the sense in which modern English speakers are applying it to inventories of letter forms in medieval writing. Checking Merriam-Webster, I see that "font" is defined (in the relevant sense) like so: > an assortment or set of type or characters all of one style and sometimes one size It is being used here to refer to an assortment of characters all of one style, which seems like a good match for the modern definition. In contrast, "script" has the following senses: 1(a) something written: "text" (b) an original or principal instrument or document (c) (1) "manuscript" (2) the written text of a stage play, screenplay, or broadcast 2(a) a style of printed letters that resembles handwriting (b) written characters: "handwriting" (c) "alphabet" 3 a plan of action (quoted words are how I've represented references to other dictionary entries) The only sense referring to the style or appearance of characters in a "script" is explicitly restricted to printed text. Perhaps the linguistic term you were looking for is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_shift https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_shift ?

by galago 10y ago

thaumasiotes 10y ago

> Its like referring to a horse-drawn cart as a "medieval car". I don't think calligraphers would get too upset about it--and maybe contemporary English actually allows it. I see it as more like referring to medieval nobles as "hunting with dogs", when the actual term in use at the time would have been "hounds". If you don't think it's weird for, say, a Russian guy to refer to ancient letter forms using a Russian word for that sort of category rather than "script", you also shouldn't think it's weird for English speakers to use their word rather than an archaism.

galago 10y ago
No, a 'font' is a tool for the mechanical representation of text. First with wood/metal, then with later technologies. Hand drawn letters are in scripts or styles. I think I've been too charitable with my words.
- thaumasiotes 10y ago
  As used, a "font" is a particular inventory of letter forms, distinguishing, say, ℂ from C, when both of those represent a platonic capital letter 'c'. That is the sense in which modern English speakers are applying it to inventories of letter forms in medieval writing. Checking Merriam-Webster, I see that "font" is defined (in the relevant sense) like so: > an assortment or set of type or characters all of one style and sometimes one size It is being used here to refer to an assortment of characters all of one style, which seems like a good match for the modern definition. In contrast, "script" has the following senses: 1(a) something written: "text" (b) an original or principal instrument or document (c) (1) "manuscript" (2) the written text of a stage play, screenplay, or broadcast 2(a) a style of printed letters that resembles handwriting (b) written characters: "handwriting" (c) "alphabet" 3 a plan of action (quoted words are how I've represented references to other dictionary entries) The only sense referring to the style or appearance of characters in a "script" is explicitly restricted to printed text. Perhaps the linguistic term you were looking for is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_shift https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_shift ?