Re: Engine vs Motor
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Re: Engine vs Motor



I'm sorry if I'm repeating someone, I just caught this thread. Just a point of note; in the earlier days of the automobile, drivers were referred to as 'engineers'.

Rick Ferron
Niagara Falls Canada

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Ames" <amesk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 7:36 PM
Subject: Re: Engine vs Motor



Both words have their roots in old Latin.

Ken Ames

Quoting Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>:

"Engine" essentially means "contraption", a mechanical assembly
to carry out some complicated "works".

Weaving engines, threshing engines, analytical engines,
calculating engines, lifting engines, etc.  Probably someone
in 1750 made a pun about a lifting engine lifting an engine.

It's an old word.

Motor at least has a root involving "motive" as in motion as
in auto-motive, self-moving. And so on.

I bet it's a new word.

If people know what you're talking about, it's the right word.


"Boat anchor" sometimes works :-)






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