4 ms·

"informations" is a good one for non-native English language speakers to look out for.

by okeuro49 2y ago

pjot 2y ago
As is “codes” - I hear this often from non-native colleagues
- Spivak 2y ago
  This one is honestly confusing. * Error codes — correct. * Their personal codes — correct. * Multiple codes of conduct — correct. And then computer code is used roughly like the noun 'writing' except you can say writings where appropriate.
  - pjot 2y ago
    The difference lies in how we conceptualize the noun: - Computer code is seen as a continuous substance or body of work, like "writing" or "music." - Other types of codes are seen as discrete units or systems. It's similar to how we say "information" (uncountable) but "facts" (countable), even though they're related concepts.
    - jameshart 2y ago
      Yes, code is a substance, like sand or iron. The system is built out of code (not codes), just like the table is built out of wood (not woods). Hearing someone talk about ‘codes’ has the same weird vibe as when they talk about ‘Legos’.
    - Ekaros 2y ago
      Source codes of dependencies. Might be acceptable... Also why not pluralise all words? Sources codes.
- ben_w 2y ago
  With regard to source code(s), I hear it exclusively from scientists, regardless of nationality. None of the coders I've worked with (and I'm in Berlin) have put the s on the end of code. Quite a few will use "he" to describe inanimate objects, though: "I spilled coffee on the table and now he is wet", that kind of thing. (This is still better than my German, which is embarassing given how long I've been here)
  - bee_rider 2y ago
    I think it makes sense, like a scientist might think of their codes as discrete things, because one code was written for each experiment. The work-product is the experiment, the codes are just little things that make it happen.
  - marssaxman 2y ago
    In scientific computing, they tend to say "code" where the rest of us would say "program".
    - generic92034 2y ago
      Programs? I rarely hear it these days. It's all "apps". ;)
- samatman 2y ago
  Hearing "codes" generally means you've found yourself around Fortran. Simple as.
nanna 2y ago
Nonsense. Informations has long been used in English. I have before me a letter by Albert Einstein to Norbert Wiener regarding a young Kurt Eisemann, in which Einstein writes, "From his letter enclosed here, you will get informations about his life and studies before he arrived here." And in the Princeton translation of Aristotle's Constitution of Athens one finds, "The Eleven also bring up informations laid against magistrates alleged to be disqualified". Informations is perhaps a bit obscure but it's perfectly valid.
- psychoslave 2y ago
  Well, for what I red, Einstein primary language stayed German all life through (Information/Informationen). And he learned English rather late in life, starting at 34 apparently.[1] And while not speaking German, he was more likely to practice some Italian as a spontaneous expression desire (informazione/informazioni) and did practice French well enough to give a lecture in this latter language (information/informations). [1] https://www.lingalot.com/what-languages-did-albert-einstein-speak/ https://www.lingalot.com/what-languages-did-albert-einstein-...
psychoslave 2y ago
But did you know that there huge load of "datas" out there?
- jjk166 2y ago
  That one's a bit mean given that data does have a distinct plural, it just happens to be spelled the same because whoever came up with english didn't really grok the phonetic alphabet.
  - nobody9999 2y ago
    >That one's a bit mean given that data does have a distinct plural, it just happens to be spelled the same because whoever came up with english didn't really grok the phonetic alphabet. Isn't 'data' already plural, with 'datum' being the singular of the plural 'data'?
  - inkcapmushroom 2y ago
    Datum is the singular, which is one point of data. When you group together a datum with another datum, they become data.
    - jamincan 2y ago
      And the origin of that plural form comes from Latin.
    - jjk166 2y ago
      Data can be used as a plural or as a mass noun. When it is a mass noun it is treated as singular. Hence we say "data is hard to come by" versus "data are hard to come by." Also datums is the plural of datum when it is used in an engineering sense, which is the most likely place one would still encounter it.

"informations" is a good one for non-native English language speakers to look out for.

pjot 2y ago

As is “codes” - I hear this often from non-native colleagues

Spivak 2y ago
This one is honestly confusing. * Error codes — correct. * Their personal codes — correct. * Multiple codes of conduct — correct. And then computer code is used roughly like the noun 'writing' except you can say writings where appropriate.
- pjot 2y ago
  The difference lies in how we conceptualize the noun: - Computer code is seen as a continuous substance or body of work, like "writing" or "music." - Other types of codes are seen as discrete units or systems. It's similar to how we say "information" (uncountable) but "facts" (countable), even though they're related concepts.
  - jameshart 2y ago
    Yes, code is a substance, like sand or iron. The system is built out of code (not codes), just like the table is built out of wood (not woods). Hearing someone talk about ‘codes’ has the same weird vibe as when they talk about ‘Legos’.
  - Ekaros 2y ago
    Source codes of dependencies. Might be acceptable... Also why not pluralise all words? Sources codes.
ben_w 2y ago
With regard to source code(s), I hear it exclusively from scientists, regardless of nationality. None of the coders I've worked with (and I'm in Berlin) have put the s on the end of code. Quite a few will use "he" to describe inanimate objects, though: "I spilled coffee on the table and now he is wet", that kind of thing. (This is still better than my German, which is embarassing given how long I've been here)
- bee_rider 2y ago
  I think it makes sense, like a scientist might think of their codes as discrete things, because one code was written for each experiment. The work-product is the experiment, the codes are just little things that make it happen.
- marssaxman 2y ago
  In scientific computing, they tend to say "code" where the rest of us would say "program".
  - generic92034 2y ago
    Programs? I rarely hear it these days. It's all "apps". ;)
samatman 2y ago
Hearing "codes" generally means you've found yourself around Fortran. Simple as.

nanna 2y ago

Nonsense. Informations has long been used in English. I have before me a letter by Albert Einstein to Norbert Wiener regarding a young Kurt Eisemann, in which Einstein writes, "From his letter enclosed here, you will get informations about his life and studies before he arrived here." And in the Princeton translation of Aristotle's Constitution of Athens one finds, "The Eleven also bring up informations laid against magistrates alleged to be disqualified". Informations is perhaps a bit obscure but it's perfectly valid.

psychoslave 2y ago
Well, for what I red, Einstein primary language stayed German all life through (Information/Informationen). And he learned English rather late in life, starting at 34 apparently.[1] And while not speaking German, he was more likely to practice some Italian as a spontaneous expression desire (informazione/informazioni) and did practice French well enough to give a lecture in this latter language (information/informations). [1] https://www.lingalot.com/what-languages-did-albert-einstein-speak/ https://www.lingalot.com/what-languages-did-albert-einstein-...

psychoslave 2y ago

But did you know that there huge load of "datas" out there?

jjk166 2y ago
That one's a bit mean given that data does have a distinct plural, it just happens to be spelled the same because whoever came up with english didn't really grok the phonetic alphabet.
- nobody9999 2y ago
  >That one's a bit mean given that data does have a distinct plural, it just happens to be spelled the same because whoever came up with english didn't really grok the phonetic alphabet. Isn't 'data' already plural, with 'datum' being the singular of the plural 'data'?
- inkcapmushroom 2y ago
  Datum is the singular, which is one point of data. When you group together a datum with another datum, they become data.
  - jamincan 2y ago
    And the origin of that plural form comes from Latin.
  - jjk166 2y ago
    Data can be used as a plural or as a mass noun. When it is a mass noun it is treated as singular. Hence we say "data is hard to come by" versus "data are hard to come by." Also datums is the plural of datum when it is used in an engineering sense, which is the most likely place one would still encounter it.