Re: [MiNT] gcc 4.2.2 patch

[Guido Flohr <guido@imperia.net>]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Peter Slegg писа:
> On Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:12:13 , J F Lemaire <jflemaire@skynet.be> wrote:
>> On Monday 14 January 2008, p.slegg@scubadivers.co.uk wrote:
>>> Quoting Andreas Schwab <schwab@suse.de>:
>>>> p.slegg@scubadivers.co.uk writes:
>>>>> Quoting Andreas Schwab <schwab@suse.de>:
>>>>>> If you want a different name just specify it explicitly via
>>>>>> --build/--host/--target.  There is nothing wrong with putting the
>>>>>> release in the canonical name.
>>>>> Completely off-topic but the word "canonical" is used in American
>>>>> software literature and I have never worked out what they think it
>>>>> means.
>>>> Both regular and accepted fits quite well here.
>>> If that is what they mean then it doesn't add much to the meaning
>>> of the sentences. It may as well be left out.
>>>
>>> Sorry, I am one of those English pedants ;-) I'll go back to sleep.
>> Look up the Jargon file or foldoc for such computer-specific
>> definitions. You'll get your answer.
> 
> However that would be an American definition, in all likelihood,
> and not an English one.

Since the the word "canonical" is of Latin and Greek origin, it is is
not completely inappropriate for a German pedant to answer to an English
pedant. ;-)

The Latin word "canon" translates to "rule, standard, guideline" usually
in the form of a list (and according to dict.leo.org
http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpType=relaxed&sectHdr=on&spellToler=on&search=richtschnur&relink=on
the English word "canon" has exactly the same meaning).  All other
meanings derive from that original meaning.

The adjective "canonical" (cf. "canonicus" in Latin) simply means "in
compliance with the canon", in whatever context "canon" was used.  In
config.guess the word "canonical" is used as "according to the
standard", "standardized", "normalized" (all close to "regular" proposed
by Andreas Schwab).  Its purpose is to classify similar hard- and
software environments and wipe out marginal differences, for example the
difference between different Linux distributions, or similar variations
of processor types as the m68k family, x86 processors from Intel and AMD
and so on.

I cannot find any sources that support the idea of the usage of
"canonical" in the meaning of "standardized, normalized" being typically
American.  In fact, I seriously doubt that, because in German you could
use the equivalent "kanonisch" in exactly the same way as used in
config.guess.

Regards,
Guido
- --
Империя ООД, управител
ул. Княз-Борис-I № 86, ет. 2, 1000 София, България
http://www.imperia.bg/
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.7 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iD8DBQFHi8iHOo0HNPWNDz0RAjaCAKDMqGrJuv4ABwnyF99EKVWgo30OXQCgmaRi
Kw4kbNLpXvziJwdqrQcHq10=
=TuZS
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----