Title: We could save the term by using it Date: 2008-05-14 22:40 Author: Femke Category: Tools Tags: Scribus, Vocabulary, Watch this thread Slug: we-could-save-the-term-by-using-it Status: published A lively discussion about the terminology used in Scribus: All started with this post from Hans-Josef Heck, linking the language of digital lay-out to that of historical printing techniques: > "Master" is the perfect English term. The master masters a page, a > paragraph, etc. > > The Webster (edition 1994) says: > 3: controlling the operation of other mechanism (e.g. master > cylinder) > 4: establishing a standard for reference (e.g. master gauge). > > To use "page master" instead of "master page" stresses, what the > function > is, namely "mastering". > > "master" means "ruling". There is no equivalent in German, I think, > which could we used here. In German "Mutter" (mother) is a possible > solution, which means "stems from" (e.g. Mutterbaum, Mutterpflanze). > In the printing trade there are in the German nomenclature two terms, > that stem from Latin "mater", (Mutter, mother): > > 1\. Mater = a mould for a founding patterns for printing. It was > positive, as the printing block had to be negative. > 2. Matrize = a stencil, positive, the ink was pressed through or those, > where the printing colour was imposed on the back and then used with a > kind of alcohol for copying. > > These techniques are gone. Laser copies or digital (offset) printing > we use instead. But we could save the term by using it.