As a student of evolution as used in its traditional sense, I am also intrigued by the concept's application to processes outside the biological. (See #s 1 and 2 in the screenshot above.)
That includes modern word usage, and I have recently encountered an example that I find fascinating. Maybe I am longing for the tech world, again missing last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), or just the fact that fast-changing fields prompt the need for fast-changing terminology, but I have one of these changes which I find fascinating.
First during the just-ended holiday season, and now with a recent Amazon order, I have noted that what I have always referred to as "cables" (see below) - or what many refer to as "cords" - are now being called "chargers".
First during the just-ended holiday season, and now with a recent Amazon order, I have noted that what I have always referred to as "cables" (see below) - or what many refer to as "cords" - are now being called "chargers".
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| The vendor calls them by the "right" old-school name but Amazon refers to them as "chargers" |
It's a great adaptation, to a more "active" noun that describes the function they perform, but my more traditional self would complain that the charger is the part that "plugs in the wall", i.e. the 110v wall socket (in the US anyway). My #OKBoomer rationale is that it's does the charging and the cable only provides the connection with the device being charged. HOWEVER, the plugging in the wall these days means into the ever-more-ubiquitous USB sockets found included in modern wall outlets, and things like lamps in hotel rooms and backs of airplane seats.
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| Even at my rather rustic coffee shop, the outlets include USB sockets |
So...let the charging continue!
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