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| '''Disc''' and '''disk''' are the two alternative spellings of the word |
'''Disc''' and '''disk''' are the two alternative spellings of the descriptive word for things of a generally thin and circular geometry. These variations are due to the way in which the words originated. The discussion here somewhat focuses on how the word applies to data storage ]. See ] for other meanings. | ||
| The earlier word is ''disk'', which came into the ] in the middle of the 17th century, and (probably following pre-existing words such as ''risk'') it was spelled with a ''k''. The spelling ''disc'' was introduced in the 18th century, following an increasing tendency to base the spelling of words on their roots: in this case the ] word ''discus'' and the ] word ''δισκος'' (note that '']'' in Greek is usually ]d by ''c'' rather than ''k''). In the 19th century, ''disc'' became the conventional spelling for ]s made on a flat plate, such as the ]; this usage gave rise to the modern term '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bartleby.com/61/16/C0521600.html |title= Compact disk |year= 2000 |work= ] |publisher= Bartleby.com}}</ref> Early ] technicians differentiated between ''disks'' (in-house transcription records) and ''discs'' (the colloquial term for commercial gramophone records, or what the BBC dubbed CGRs).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/grams/grams_4.htm |title= Test Records |date= 2008-03-12 |accessdate= 2008-06-11 |author=Barry Taylor |publisher= ]}}</ref> | The earlier word is ''disk'', which came into the ] in the middle of the 17th century, and (probably following pre-existing words such as ''risk'') it was spelled with a ''k''. The spelling ''disc'' was introduced in the 18th century, following an increasing tendency to base the spelling of words on their roots: in this case the ] word ''discus'' and the ] word ''δισκος'' (note that '']'' in Greek is usually ]d by ''c'' rather than ''k''). In the 19th century, ''disc'' became the conventional spelling for ]s made on a flat plate, such as the ]; this usage gave rise to the modern term '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bartleby.com/61/16/C0521600.html |title= Compact disk |year= 2000 |work= ] |publisher= Bartleby.com}}</ref> Early ] technicians differentiated between ''disks'' (in-house transcription records) and ''discs'' (the colloquial term for commercial gramophone records, or what the BBC dubbed CGRs).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.beckwith/bh/grams/grams_4.htm |title= Test Records |date= 2008-03-12 |accessdate= 2008-06-11 |author=Barry Taylor |publisher= ]}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 05:45, 7 July 2008
Disc and disk are the two alternative spellings of the descriptive word for things of a generally thin and circular geometry. These variations are due to the way in which the words originated. The discussion here somewhat focuses on how the word applies to data storage media. See this page for other meanings.
The earlier word is disk, which came into the English language in the middle of the 17th century, and (probably following pre-existing words such as risk) it was spelled with a k. The spelling disc was introduced in the 18th century, following an increasing tendency to base the spelling of words on their roots: in this case the Latin word discus and the Greek word δισκος (note that kappa in Greek is usually transliterated by c rather than k). In the 19th century, disc became the conventional spelling for audio recordings made on a flat plate, such as the gramophone record; this usage gave rise to the modern term disc jockey. Early BBC technicians differentiated between disks (in-house transcription records) and discs (the colloquial term for commercial gramophone records, or what the BBC dubbed CGRs).
By the 20th century, the c-spelling was more popular in British English, while the k-spelling was preferred in American English. In the 1950s, when the American company IBM pioneered the first hard disk drive storage devices, the k-spelling was used. Consequently, in computer jargon today it is common for the k-spelling to refer mainly to magnetic storage devices (particularly in British English, where the term disk is sometimes regarded as an abbreviation for diskette (a much later word).
Some latter-day storage device manufacturers prefer the c-spelling. In 1979 the Dutch company Philips, along with Sony, developed the compact disc medium; here, the c-spelling was chosen. The c-spelling is now used consistently for optical media such as the compact disc and similar technologies; Apple Inc. considers this usage to be official.
See also
References
- "Compact disk". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Bartleby.com. 2000.
- Barry Taylor (2008-03-12). "Test Records". BTInternet. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- Paul Brians. "Common Errors in English". Washington State University . Retrieved 2008-06-11.
- Apple, Inc. (2005-08-15). "What's the difference between a "disc" and a "disk"?". Retrieved 2006-07-09.
Further reading
- What is the Difference Between a Disc and a Disk?, article at wiseGEEK.com