An Approach to the Study of Physical Terminology

Roller D. , “Technical writing and editing,” Am. J. Physics 13, 99 (1945)

Adams E. Q. , “Brands from the burning,” J. Chem. Ed. 1, 230 (1924)

Except for “meaningfulness,” these are the requirements given by Moon P. , “The names of physical concepts,” Am. J. Physics 10, 134 (1942).

Roller D. , “Physical terminology,” Sci. Mo. 31, 543 (1930).

Other suffixes used to denote devices are -ER, as in amplifier, and -MENT, as in filament.

-ING, as in lighting, is also used to denote a process.

Some other common suffixes are: -BAR, weight (isobar); -CHROIC, -CHROMATIC, color (monochromatic); -LOGY, OLOGY, a discourse, doctrine or science (radiology); -METRY, art of measuring (thermometry); -PHONE, -PHONY, sound, voice (microphone); -STAT, stand (thermostat); -THERM, heat, temperature (isotherm). There are also many common prefixes: astro-, boro-, centi-, chrom- (etc.), chrono-, cryo-, deci-, deka-, dextro-, dia-, endo-, exo-, gonio-, graph- (etc.), hecto-, helio- (etc.), hydro-, infra-, iso-, kilo-, levo-, macro-, mano-, mega-, etc.

Darwin C. G. , “Terminology in Physics,” Nature 138, p. 908

Moon and Spencer, “Internationally in the names of scientific concepts,” Am. J. Physics (in press); “International names in colorimetry,” J. Opt. Soc. (in press). The latter paper severely criticizes the recent reports on nomenclature made by the Colorimetry Committee of the Optical Society of America.

Lyons W. J. , “Inaccuracies in the textbook discussions of the ordinary gas laws,” Am. J. Physics 6, 256 (1938)