NOMENCLATURE
WORDS ABOUT WORDS AUSTIN M . PATTERSON* Spectroscopic Terms A n important s t e p in standardizing spectroscopic terminology is marked by "Suggested Nomenclature in Applied Spectroscopy, R e p o r t No. 6 of the Joint Committee on Nomenclature in Applied Spectroscopy Established by the Society lor Applied Spectroscopy and the American Society for Testing Materials/* which appeared last A u g u s t in Analytical Chemistry (24, 1 3 4 9 - 5 4 ) . T h i s report is t h e culmination of work which began i n 1946. It is of wider application than merely t o spectroscopy, since it proposes general principles of nomenclature standardization which are well worth study (see b e l o w ) . Eighty-six terms are defined, from " a b s o r b a n c e " to "wavenumber," many of t h e m with helpful comments. T h e joint committee's job is stiD unfinished, for it still h a s 74 terms under study. T h e report emphasizes that "the terms and definitions are published here for information only and are subject to further revision." C o m m e n t s on the report are solicited and should be addressed to the chairman of t h e joint committee, H. K. Hughes, Central Research Laboratories, Ceïanese C o r p . of America, Summit, N. J.
it from parts taken from classical Greek or Latin seems to offer the greatest a d vantage.
N-Eihers? Janet D . Scott notes that in Sidgwick's "Organic Chemistry" ( 1 9 3 7 ) , p a g e 173, this statement, referring to t h e alkylation of oximes, occurs: " T h e o t h e r p r o d u c t . . . must have t h e methyl group a t t a c h e d t o nitrogen : it is called t h e N - m e t h y l ether * 4 * t h e N-ether is almost insoluble in ordinary ether . . . while t h e O-ether is readily soluble." This seems to us an u n w a r r a n t e d extension of the meaning of "ether"; would it not b e m u c h b e t t e r to call such a compound the N-methyl d e rivative? ° 221 North King St., Xenia, Ohio.
Sulfuryl vs. Sulfonyl There are conflicts b e t w e e n inorganic a n d organic nomenclature, usually d u e to t h e fact that care has not b e e n taken on either side t o avoid t h e m . Thus, t h e inorganic n a m e of t h e radical
S 0 2 is sulfuryl, while its organic n a m e is sulfonyl. Similarly, inorganic chemists call S O thionyl- while organic chemists call it sulfinyl. At a joint m e e t i n g of t h e commissions on inorganic and organic n o m e n c l a t u r e of t h e International Union, held Sept. 1 1 , 1951, agreement was reached on these cases. The preferred n a m e s will b e sulfonyl and sulfinyl, except " t h a t the trivial n a m e s of sulfuryl halides and thionyl halides b e r e t a i n e d , for these cases only." Likewise, t h e n a m e of SeO a will b e selenonyl and t h a t o f SeO will b e seleninyl. T h e s e decisions have yet to be a d o p t e d definitely b y t h e union.
W h e t Plurals? W e sometimes receive questions about t h e plurals of Latin a n d Greek words that have been adopted into English: Should w e s a y latexes or latices, indexes or indices, formulas o r formulae, traumas or traum a t a ? In general, t h e preference of this c o l u m n is for t h e English plural unless t h e singular is less c o m m o n t h a n the p l u r a l , as is t h e case with data, bacteria, m i n u t i a e . T r u e , there a r e exceptions: " L o c u s e s " w o u l d sound o d d in place of t h e more familiar "loci" ( b u t on t h e other h a n d " c r o c i " instead of "crocuses" w o u l d b e just a s odd ) . Perhaps a good rule is to use t h e E n g lish m e t h o d of forming t h e plural unless this result seems too strange.
General Principles Here, very briefly, are outlined t h e principles stated i n t h e above report ( see the original) : Manuscript. S e e to it that the nomenclature used i s m a d e clear. Units. Use the same term and symbol lor a given q u a n t i t y ; special vaixies may b e distinguished b y subscripts or superscripts. Multiple Meanings. A given term (e.g., density) should n o t have more t h a n one technical meaning. Multiple Terms. A given technical conc e p t should not h a v e more than one name. Related C o n c e p t s . These should have similar n a m e s . T h e following standardized suffixes a r e useful: -or, -atioa, -ance, -ity, -meter, -scope, -graph, -grain, -scopy. C o n t r a s t i n g C o n c e p t s . Names for these should differ markedly (microscopic and macroscopic differ by only one letter ). Self-explanatory Terms. Desirable wherever possible. Simplicity. Terms should be simple and euphonious. Internatioiiality. This ideal is not impracticable. Faulty Terms. If a term is faulty in some important respect an effort should b e made to c h a n g e it, n o matter h o w well established it m a y be. New T e r m s . Of the various possible sources listed for a new term, constructing
VOLUME
3 1, N O .
iniaiure
Venturi Tube Solves Unusual Problem An important chemical producer looked everywhere . . . couldn't find a r e a d y - m a d e device to measure accurately a corrosive liquid's low Bow of 159 lbs. per hour* So he asked t h e advice of Simplex. Simplex tailor-made a welded, corrosion-resisting stainless steel Venturi tube. This Venturi tube
;V %1'i k^>'^J\
probably is the smallest in industrial process use. Main diameter is only 0.375"; throat diameter only .105". Machining to .00G5" provides specified accuracy. Consult Simplex on your special measuring problems, large or small. Write to Simplex Valve & Meter Company, Dept. 1, 6767 Upland St., Philadelphia 4 2 , Pa.
SIMPLEX
1 » » .JANUARY
5,
1953
VALVE A N D METER C O M P A N Y 91
