From owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Apr 15 12:57:31 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D78737B401 for ; Tue, 15 Apr 2003 12:57:31 -0700 (PDT) Received: from c001.snv.cp.net (h013.c001.snv.cp.net [209.228.32.127]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id C0CEC43FDF for ; Tue, 15 Apr 2003 12:57:30 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from jeff@walters.name) Received: (cpmta 17744 invoked from network); 15 Apr 2003 12:57:29 -0700 Received: from 24.216.194.242 (HELO 10.0.1.51) by smtp.register-admin.com (209.228.32.127) with SMTP; 15 Apr 2003 12:57:29 -0700 X-Sent: 15 Apr 2003 19:57:29 GMT From: Jeff Walters To: Colin Percival , freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 15:57:28 -0400 User-Agent: KMail/1.5.1 References: <3E9C2965.5080504@potentialtech.com> <5.0.2.1.1.20030415203820.01dd56a8@popserver.sfu.ca> In-Reply-To: <5.0.2.1.1.20030415203820.01dd56a8@popserver.sfu.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200304151557.28415.jeff@walters.name> cc: Bill Moran Subject: Re: FreeBSD logo... X-BeenThere: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list Reply-To: jeff@walters.name List-Id: Non technical items related to the community List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 19:57:31 -0000 On Tuesday 15 April 2003 03:44 pm, Colin Percival wrote: > At 15:36 15/04/2003 -0400, Jeff Walters wrote: > >I know people in the BSD world are picky about the spelling of "daemon", > >but I > >can't figure out why. According to Merriam-Webster daemon is "variant of > >demon." The spelling doesn't matter to the meaning in common language, > > and it's not a trademark, so it must be a type of cult to be picky about > > it when people write "demon", or to intentionally avoid the more common > > spelling for the sake of distinctiveness and tradition. > > I think it's a case of American illiteracy. My copy of the Oxford > English Dictionary clearly lists: > > daemon n. (in ancient Greek belief) a divinity or supernatural being of a > nature between gods and humans. > an inner or attendant spirit or inspiring force. > > demon n. an evil spirit or devil. > > Colin Percival Yeah, but you guys (assuming you're from Britain) spell it colour and not color. What gives? :)