Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!husc6!cmcl2!beta!unm-la!unmvax!turing!mike From: mike@turing.unm.edu (Michael I. Bushnell) Newsgroups: comp.emacs Subject: Re: What does "which see" mean in documentation? Message-ID: <598@unmvax.UNM.EDU> Date: Mon, 13-Jul-87 17:19:49 EDT Article-I.D.: unmvax.598 Posted: Mon Jul 13 17:19:49 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Jul-87 00:36:32 EDT References: <932@ttidca.TTI.COM> Sender: news@unmvax.UNM.EDU Reply-To: mike@turing.UUCP (Michael I. Bushnell) Distribution: world Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 34 In article <932@ttidca.TTI.COM> spencer@.UUCP (David Spencer) writes: > > >write-char: >Output character CHAR to stream STREAM. >STREAM defaults to the value of standard-output (which see). > ^^^^^^^^^ > > What does "which see" mean? I think I've seen it several > other places too. This comes from the Latin abbreviation `viz.' `Viz.' comes from the verb `to see.' But actually, only the `vi' comes from there. It seems that the e-t ligature (`et' for `and') was used as an abbreviation mark, much as we use period. The e-t ligature looks much like (no coincidence here) `&.' But early on, the `z' was used because it also looked much like the ligature. So, `viz' == `vi&' == `vi.', but, when the new standard arose of using periods, everyone was used to `viz.' Now we put the `z' and the `.', which is a rather repetative (sp?) usage. Oh yeah...what does it mean? It means `which see,' or, in more common parlance, `see also.' For more on abbreviations and lots of neat Latin/Roman history, etc., viz. "A B C EtCetera." You can probably find it in your library. Michael I. Bushnell a/k/a Bach II mike@turing.UNM.EDU --- On the other hand, life can be an endless parade of TRANSSEXUAL QUILTING BEES aboard a cruise ship to DISNEYWORLD if only we let it!! -- Zippy the Pinhead