On 10.11.26 14:14, G. Branden Robinson wrote: > At 2026-11-09T20:11:40+0100, Tadziu Hoffmann wrote:
> > Though in computing we do have daemons, not demons. > > Yes, and at least in the U.S., everybody seems to pronounce that word > "daymons", or like the given name "Damon". I've heard this usage since > the mid-1990s. > > The pronunciation may have arisen due to ignorance but I doubt the > spelling did. The same mispronunciation is creeping in here (Aus) too, and at 72 I ascribe it to young'uns lacking education in classical stuff, which can be informative, if not greatly useful in video games. My Danish dictionary cites Greek origin for "dæmon", and equates it with a god or demon. For an English perspective, here's a quick AI summary, which sounds spot on to me: >>> Both *daemon* and *demon* share a common root, evolving from the Ancient Greek word *daimōn* (or daeio , meaning to divide or distribute fortunes and destinies). However, their historical paths and modern meanings diverged significantly. Ancient Greek Origin: Daimōn * *Root Meaning:* In ancient Greece, a daimōn was a neutral or benevolent spiritual entity, a lesser divinity, or a supernatural intermediary sitting between gods and mortals. * *Role:* They acted as personal guardian spirits, guiding forces, or inner consciences (such as Socrates' daimonion , an inner voice warning him of wrong paths). They could be helpful ( agathodaímōn ) or harmful ( kakodaímōn ), but the term itself was not inherently evil. x Semantic Shift to Demon * *The Christian Transformation:* As Christianity spread, early translations of biblical texts (such as the Septuagint and the Vulgate) used daimon to describe pagan gods, heathen idols, and unclean or fallen spirits. * *Exclusive Malevolence:* Through Latin ( daemonium ), the word transitioned into Old and Middle English as *demon* , narrowing its scope strictly to mean an evil spirit, devil, or agent of harm. Modern Usage: Daemon vs. Demon * *Demon:* Today, *demon* is almost exclusively used to describe a malignant spiritual entity, a devil, or a figurative force of obsession and destruction. * *Daemon:* The spelling *daemon* (often an alternate or latinized spelling) is preserved for neutral or classical contexts—such as a personal guiding spirit in literature (like Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials )—or in computing, where a Share.org Technical Overview ( https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESpgEBxCJF1_JHwXLOntV7KWbBdCwAmDM5d822qYng0Go7Qe1h-2iTt_w-r-r07snPwZp_DDuVEfNvwCOR6U4hIP5-tISowtYEGAmZyR8M4tM4O4HwfYlb2mFGU_33h6l2MEttOjXYylo7fZfgSf5RmBWZ2rXKekiPXuiBusMygMZRrAQtIXGWojX91_ozQAi6w3jiFM93rHVOA6JEMli5rVnKbKJIhf3c ) notes it describes a background operating system process that quietly runs to serve a system. <<< The slight vowel difference, "dairmon", is easily missed, but the spelling difference is distinct, even if the nordic vowel glyph isn't used. (One can take the ae in aeroplane, originally written as æroplane in English, as a guide, I submit.) Mind you, I'd be ready to describe systemd as a demon, rather than a daemon, but that's highly subjective. Erik P.S. I do hope the browser paste renders OK. (I'm stuck with an on-line MUA for sending - far from ideal.)
