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Renaming from “safety” to “security”. English is slightly unusual, in that many other languages use the same word for both.

by jl6 2y ago

bad_user 2y ago
I'm not familiar with that many languages, but I'm pretty sure that romance languages have words for both. “Security” refers to active protection against existing threats, whereas “safety” refers to the state of being protected.
albert_e 2y ago
In casual usage they feel like two separate concepts to me. I think of it this way: We put iron grills on our apartment balconies. 1. For SAFETY -- prevents the risk of people and kids falling off balconies. 2. For SECURITY -- prevents any intruder from being able to get into the house through balcony. I am not sure these are accurate though as English is not my first language.
- elric 2y ago
  Both of those concepts translate to "veiligheid" in Dutch.
  - nemoniac 2y ago
    Tsja, zekerheid is a cognate for security. "Zeker" from Latin "Sēcūrus".
    - elric 2y ago
      I've never heard anyone use the word "zekerheid" when talking about security. Verzekering, zekering, zekeren. Sure, but those are all pretty domain specific. No one hires a "zekerheidsagent" to secure their building, or an expert in "cyber zekerheid". Ik ben daar ... vrij zeker van.
midtake 2y ago
Language is weird but I think they are separate concepts in most languages. Other languages just don't use safe as secularly. Safe inflects from "save", and other languages use phrases like salve, salvar, спаси, to mean saving, usually of the soul but also of health. Security, inflection of secure, derives from Old English sicor (siker), means more like "sure", or being certain. So when they talk about public safety or computer security, other langs tend to use the "secure" word rather than the "save" word. Of course in the modern world, we just use the terminology the industry uses, and security has taken on its current meaning of protection. Interestingly enough, there is a product/service called Secure Your Soul in Cyberpunk 2077, which plays on this same overlap in meaning.
elric 2y ago
English speakers' seeming obsession with "safety" and "security" has always struck me as a bit weird. I wonder if it's a bug in the language or in the mindset of native speakers. Or maybe one reinforces the other. From endlessly being told to "mind the gap", to nagging announcements about "Safety & Security", to many ingrained phrases like "stay safe" & "take care". It's also visible in people being concerned over behaviours that are perfectly normal in non-English speaking parts of the world, like children walking home alone or steep stairs without railings. Both of which have been known to cause a stir in the US & UK.

Renaming from “safety” to “security”. English is slightly unusual, in that many other languages use the same word for both.

by jl6 2y ago

Renaming from “safety” to “security”. English is slightly unusual, in that many other languages use the same word for both.

bad_user 2y ago

I'm not familiar with that many languages, but I'm pretty sure that romance languages have words for both. “Security” refers to active protection against existing threats, whereas “safety” refers to the state of being protected.

albert_e 2y ago

In casual usage they feel like two separate concepts to me. I think of it this way: We put iron grills on our apartment balconies. 1. For SAFETY -- prevents the risk of people and kids falling off balconies. 2. For SECURITY -- prevents any intruder from being able to get into the house through balcony. I am not sure these are accurate though as English is not my first language.

elric 2y ago
Both of those concepts translate to "veiligheid" in Dutch.
- nemoniac 2y ago
  Tsja, zekerheid is a cognate for security. "Zeker" from Latin "Sēcūrus".
  - elric 2y ago
    I've never heard anyone use the word "zekerheid" when talking about security. Verzekering, zekering, zekeren. Sure, but those are all pretty domain specific. No one hires a "zekerheidsagent" to secure their building, or an expert in "cyber zekerheid". Ik ben daar ... vrij zeker van.

midtake 2y ago

Language is weird but I think they are separate concepts in most languages. Other languages just don't use safe as secularly. Safe inflects from "save", and other languages use phrases like salve, salvar, спаси, to mean saving, usually of the soul but also of health. Security, inflection of secure, derives from Old English sicor (siker), means more like "sure", or being certain. So when they talk about public safety or computer security, other langs tend to use the "secure" word rather than the "save" word. Of course in the modern world, we just use the terminology the industry uses, and security has taken on its current meaning of protection. Interestingly enough, there is a product/service called Secure Your Soul in Cyberpunk 2077, which plays on this same overlap in meaning.

elric 2y ago

English speakers' seeming obsession with "safety" and "security" has always struck me as a bit weird. I wonder if it's a bug in the language or in the mindset of native speakers. Or maybe one reinforces the other. From endlessly being told to "mind the gap", to nagging announcements about "Safety & Security", to many ingrained phrases like "stay safe" & "take care". It's also visible in people being concerned over behaviours that are perfectly normal in non-English speaking parts of the world, like children walking home alone or steep stairs without railings. Both of which have been known to cause a stir in the US & UK.