TS: disC vs. disK

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I spell it both ways, because I just can't decide. Every time I make a decision about how to spell this word, I think it's the wrong one. What's the convention? Is a disC somehow different from a disK?

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

DISC

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Disk = abbrevation of "diskette". Hence, "floppy disk" - because it was originally "floppy diskette" - but "compact disc".

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

DISCO VS. DISKO

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

In general, discs are round, and disks are square.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Disk = abbrevation of "diskette".

but according to dictionary.com, "disc" is a variant of "disk," implying that "disk" is the *real* word. Not that dictionary.com is the ultimate authority, but it makes me go hmm.

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The Concise Oxford (1978) has "disc" as the headword and "disk" as the varient.

The Collins Concise (1995) is more complex, and says that "disc" is the headword and "disk" the varient, except in computing, where it is the other way round.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

compact diskette

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

throwing the diskus

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)

(yes, I do routinely keep two dictionaries next to the computer)

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm, an interesting diskussion.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's diskusting.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you try to diskourage me?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Disc = flat round thing. Diskette = way of referring to computery thing that is not itself round and flat but exists in the service of a round flat element; if you spelled it "discette" it would confuse everyone, particularly the French, who would think you were saying "seventeen." Disk = truncation of diskette. Therefore anything that is actually a disc shape is a "disc," and anything that is more just a kind of media that operates based on a disc shape (probably interior) is a "disk." I'd never really thought much about this, it just always seemed kinda self-evident.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean I guess alternately we could have a system where "disc" refers strictly to the shape, and "disk" refers strictly to storage media involving the shape. This would be simpler and more regular and more accurate. But unfortunately that's just not the system we have.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

But even the old floppys were round on the inside!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

My DJ name should be Philip K. Disk

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd never really thought much about this, it just always seemed kinda self-evident.

Well la-di-frickin'-da.

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Webster's (1913) has Disk as the word and disc as the variant

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually now I'm totally confused about this.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't Webster's the dictionary that changed the spellings of words just to make them different from standard British English, though?

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

yes

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

But it helped invent "proper" American spelling, too.

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I prefer "disc". It looks more sleek and high-tech.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

It gets muddier:

disco- or disc- also disci-
pref.

1. Disk: discoid.
2. Phonograph record: discophile.

[Latin, from Greek disko-, from diskos, disk. See disk.]

So the Greek root is spelled with a "k", not just the Americanization.

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

there is no c in greek

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

See?

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

they wanted one

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Voted down by an undereducated "many." Boobs.

― Smokin' funk by the boxes (kenan), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

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