Re: bug in german manual

[David Kastrup]

Wols Lists <address@hidden> writes:

> On 18/08/15 14:56, David Kastrup wrote:
>> Malte Meyn <address@hidden> writes:
>> 
>>> > Am 18.08.2015 um 09:01 schrieb Blöchl Bernhard:
>>>
>>> > (3) As Berndhard said ‘time’ and ‘times’ are indeed very similar words
>>> > and ‘tuplet’ describes the functionality better.
>
> (3) Did I say I was an ENGLISH speaker? Looking it up in online
> dictionaries, it seems your usage is typical AMERICAN, but to me,
> "tuplet" is the *opposite* of triplet, complementary and mutually
> exclusive. A tuplet is "two notes played in the time of three" (What
> American usage calls a duplet, a word I can't ever remember meeting).

It mimics mathematical verbage where you have "n-tuples".  I don't think
I ever heard of your definition of tuplet.

The Oxford English Dictionary balks at "tuplet", instead offering

    -tuple, adj. and n.

    Pronunciation:
      /ˈtjuːp(ə)l/
    Etymology:  The ending of quintuple adj. and n., etc.
    Chiefly Math.
    Categories »

      With preceding algebraic symbol: (an entity or set) consisting of
      as many parts or elements as indicated by the symbol.

Basically, "tuplet" appears to be an artificially invented term in order
to complement more specific values (such as triplets, duples).

I think that the German term is actually even more closely modeled after
the mathematical term "n-tupel", being "n-tolen" (with specifics Duolen,
Triolen, Quartolen, Quintolen...).

-- 
David Kastrup