1)are they justified? and 2)do you have a favourite or non favourite? Everywhere you look there are new strange looking and sounding words that mean nothing if it was not for the packaging or the ideas they are selling. For example a word like WONGA OR OCADO
I've got no idea what the purpose of this thread is. Do you understand the meaning of the word "generic"?
generic means made up to sell a product but you would not actually use them in any other context but their product. wonga is a generic made up name for a website. Ocado is generic name for a shopping delivery service. Justified in the sense that if you invent a new word then it should find its place in a dictionary for people to use in their everyday writing. for example if you consider the word NICE it is in dictionary and takes on various meanings hence its usefulness for writing in various contexts. Take WONGA it is generic and can only be used to refer to the website.
yes. being or having a nonproprietary name. an inventend word to refer to a product. the purpose of this thread is to discuss your views on generic terms and how you feel about them. Your opinion on generic words and their effects on everyday life.
yes. being or having a nonproprietary name. an inventend word to refer to a product. the purpose of this thread is to discuss your views on generic terms and how you feel about them. Your opinion on generic words and their effects on everyday life.
... Neither Wonga or Ocado are generic since they're brand names. Generic "brands" have no brand names. They are the product itself, standing alone without need for a brand. Look at the definition: Characteristic of or relating to a class or group; not specific: "chèvre is a generic term for all goat's milk cheese". Both Wonga and Ocado are specific to the products and services they specifically create. Now, if you're talking about product placement, then you're going to get into a bit of a legal debate. EDIT: You really need to learn to multi-quote, Cacian. <-- This. Really. View the definition that I provided above. "Milk" is generic. "Paul's" or "Dairy Farmer" which are both Australian brands, are not generic. Speaking of, "Country" is generic because it's non-specific. "Australia" or "America" or "England" are specific, so they're NOT generic.
cruciFICTION In that case what do you call these nonsensical invented terms that appear here and there and everywhere? the words I gave as an example are certainly spelt DIFFERENTLY meaning they do not relate or look like an English word. WONGA OCADO what so you call them then, because they will not adhere to a dictionary meaning, in the sense that they are not a verb, a nound or an adjective? By Generic I meant thatr they are computer generated for the sake of a brand or a product. Take the SAXA is another brand for a Salt. LEURPAK a brand for Butter.. So what are they? they have to have a name in order to be able to refer to them/
... "Generic" has nothing to do with it being "computer generated". I don't even know where you got that idea. The term you're looking for is actually noun. These are all nouns. Specifically, they're proper nouns because they're names for something specific. As I and others have said in other threads, you really need to get a proper grasp of the words you use before you start flinging them around. Just because two words start with the same few letters, doesn't mean they're related to each other in meaning. You can't just use words and hope we understand what you mean. Chances are that if you start a sentence with "By <word>, I meant ..." then you probably have no idea what the word means. Now, in relation to your original post, we, as writers, use proper nouns nearly constantly. John is a proper noun. Kenny is a proper noun. Every name for every person ever is a proper noun. City names are proper nouns. And, yes, brand names count as proper nouns too, so "Dairy Farmer" is a proper noun even though it's two words. So, again, I have no idea what you're asking. You're asking whether it's "justified" to use a person's name? You're asking if we have favourite brand names? I can't help but feel that these questions are somewhat ridiculous and redundant.
By generic, are you meaning things like 'hoover' instead of vacuum cleaner, and 'iPod' (eargh) instead of mp3 player? If so, I don't like it, but it is justified in that it is market forces at work. If a brand becomes synonymous with a product, it becomes the name of the product
Hi Smythe! by generic I mean a random term made up by a machine and means or add nothing to the English Dictionary. as oppose to words created by humans.
Again, that's not the definition of generic. I find it ironic that you seem to dislike these 'made up words' but have no problem with your own.
I'm breaking my resolve, partially, because the Lounge seems less on-topic than the more formal writing forums. Go to Google. Type etymology generic You will have your answer. ChickenFreak
If this means what I think it means, then damn, I know what you mean. No, but you see it's okay, because Cacian makes up her nonsense herself, rather than relying on some silly computer. So it really is okay. Google it. Seriously. Do some actual work instead of just saying things. However, see below because I've actually done some of the work for you. This is why you should google it. I repeat my earlier point: if you start a sentence with "By <word> I mean ..." then you're probably wrong. I repeat my other earlier point: you can't just make up definitions for words and expect us to understand you. Yes, generic and generate both have the same Latin root term of genus. However, generate comes directly from generō, which means to beget, produce, or procreate. This term, generō, comes from the Latin root genus, which refers to, and I quote, "birth, origin, a race, sort, kind". Of course, I assume you're really confused right now. "cruciFICTION," you'll say. "They have the same root terminology. That means they mean the same thing! LOL." No. They do not mean the same thing because they have the same root term. They do, in fact, have very different definitions. Generic words are non-specific terms. Generated words are words that are made up. Note that these are mutually exclusive. Neither of these definitions depends on the other. Now, as for your original examples, "Wonga" is NOT a "computer-generated term". Hell, I saw it the first time and thought it looked Aboriginal (I'd know, since I'm Australian), and hell... what do you know? I Googled 'wonga' and the Wikipedia page informed me that not only is it an Aboriginal word, but it's also British slang for money. It therefore makes sense that they'd be a company who do cash loans. As for 'ocado', I'm not sure, but do you really believe they got a computer to generate words for them and then said, "Oh, this one looks cool. Let's go with that." No. Normal people don't do that. I'm going to say this again, and I've got no idea how many times I've already said it or other things like it. Think before you post. Find out what words mean before you post. Don't just say things and expect that we'll understand you. I'm not kidding. In exactly a month today, you've got over 500 posts, and you've started 63 threads. Nearly all of them have only led to frustration, annoyance, and long, unnecessary arguments and discussions. Your posts are, quite frankly, ridiculous. Most of them boil down to you adding something redundant to a thread that doesn't need it or saying something that makes no sense, and the rest of us trying to figure out what you meant. I'm willing to say that most of these threads are, in fact, just "discussions" between you and other people trying to figure out what exactly you meant in your original post. Please, if you want to use the English language, use it properly or don't use it at all. You may have an excuse for not making sense some of the time since it's not your native language, but there's really no excuse for whatever it is you're doing. Seriously, for the sake of your own dignity and the sake of the people who frequent this forum, only use words when you know what they mean. Ask questions that actually relate to something you're writing. Right now, all of the threads you're starting are unrelated and I'm willing to bet that you're not even writing anything that any of them relate to. Sure, you might be asking questions that are about writing, but the point of this forum is more to help people with their specific problems in writing so they can get better. Now, this post has gone on long enough. Hopefully, some of what I've said will actually sink in for you. If not, I don't really care. End rant.
CruciFICTION, I think I love you. I don't have anything to add. But I agree wholeheartedly with everything he said.
One thing I've learned recently, from interaction with a close relative: Some people like negative attention. Some people even _prefer_ negative attention to positive attention--greatly prefer it. Negative attention has more energy, more emotion, a laser focus on the subject of the attention. It is very, very good "food" for the person who is hungry for attention. Positive attention or a simple respectful interaction between people just doesn't slake that hunger the same way. This lesson has been incredibly hard for me to accept--my gut tells me that no one likes negative attention, and my gut is wrong. So when the time comes that it's clear that you are dealing with sheer desire for attention, rather than just a slightly mis-implemented desire for that simple respectful interaction, then the only solution is usually to either (1) withdraw all attention, positive or negative, or (2) withdraw all attention except on occasions when the behavior of the person seeking attention is acceptable. _Any_ attention is a reward, so it's best to only reward the acceptable behavior, rather than rewarding problem behavior with negative attention. Yes, I realize that I have no business telling anyone what to do, and I'm not trying to do that. I'm just proposing food for thought. And I'm trying to take my own advice. ChickenFreak
Quite true. Some people are basically "attention junkies". They just want it, probably feel like they need it. It would be good for them to see what they are doing and what kind of effect it has on others, and, so, try to restrain themselves. But people are far more inclined to see faults of others than themselves.
