On Sunday 11 October 2009 20:21:29 Philip Webb wrote: > 091011 Volker Armin Hemmann wrote: > > Paket = packet ; Paket = package > > Oh dear ! -- English calls such words 'false friends' ! > My German-English dictionary (Langenscheidt) suggests E 'package' = G > 'Pack', while E 'packet' = G 'kleines Pack' or 'Päckchen'. > > In English, a 'packet' calls to mind something in an envelope, eg a letter; > 'package' brings a picture of something tied up with string, ie a parcel. > In computer English, a 'package' is eg Gentoo's 'app-arch/bzip2-1.0.5-r1'; > a 'packet' is a fragment of a file sent through the Internet, > different packets possibly taking different routes to their destination, > where they are reassembled into the complete file.
More generally, I think of a packet as a unit of something - soap powder, data, correspondence - while a package is a bundle of things - programs, Christmas presents, packets of sweets. No doubt that doesn't accord with any dictionary, but it seems to work. -- Rgds Peter
