At 27 03 06, 07:48 PM, Pat Naughtin wrote:
I also know that this is a difficult issue for any system, such as the
metric system, which has as its basis the use of prefixes and units that are
joined to form multiples and sub-multiples. By their nature such systems are
at least duo but mostly multi-syllabic. In the metric system examples of the
shortest are the words associated with the gram, such as microgram,
milligram, and kilogram so even the simplest prefixed unit names have at
least 3 syllables in the metric system.
However, I can't let your statements, below, pass without offering at least
some defence of the metric system.
The metric system does not need defense, it merely needs its
promoters to recognize that there are areas where it could be
improved and made more usable. My examples of short/long names for
measures were not intended to say that US customary measures are
better in general -- they clearly are not.
My point was that metric measures WILL be shortened for convenience
(and other list members posted more examples). And if the BIPM/CGPM
does not accommodate and formally accept this, they will simply be
ignored where expedient.
Another way of saying this is that Table 3 of BIPM's SI document
(Derived Units with Special Names) should be expanded with reasonable
expediency, to help control the proliferation of such names. The
proliferation cannot be stopped by ignoring it; by embracing it there
will be at least an international body trying to manage it.
Let me count syllables in some length measures.
I count, at the very least, 19 syllables in:
quarter of an inch, half an inch, (a lot of other fractions go here), inch,
link, foot, yard, rod, pole, perch, chain, furlong, mile.
You are presuming no one will say "half a kilometer" or "a quarter of
a meter." And that is the same mistake as thinking people will not
say "klik" rather than "kilometer."
Halves, quarters, eights are very convenient in every day use, and
the SI standard discouraging their use is fruitless. 99.999% of the
population of the world will never read the SI standards, and will
merrily go on using "quarter meter" and "half liter".
And, "one eight meter" has 4 syllables, while "two hundred fifty
millimeters" has 9 syllables.
Jim
Jim Elwell
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
801-466-8770
www.qsicorp.com
