Notifications
Clear all

Scientifical thinking

27 Posts
1 Users
0 Reactions
3 Views
Posts: 0
Guest
(@Anonymous)
Joined: 1 second ago

Would anyone object if a person used  scientifical  in place of scientific?And if so, why?  

26 Replies
Posts: 0
Guest
(@Anonymous)
Joined: 1 second ago

There's a bunch of adjectives that end either in "ic" or "ical" (geographic/geographical, historic/historical, electric/electrical). In some cases they can be used interchangeably, in other cases there are subtle differences based on usage. For example, see this thread from another forum on "historic" vs. "historical."

In the case of "scientific" vs. "scientifical" we have something else going on. Some dictionaries include "scientifical," but spell-check flags it. Google "scientifical" and you get 422,000 hits. Google "scientific" and you get 562,000,000.

Google Ngram provides this interesting record of usage for "scientifical." Seems to show that the word has become obsolete (or nearly so).

My best guess is that since a "subtle distinction based on usage" never emerged, as it did for some of those other ic/ical adjectives, "scientific" won out since it was a simpler/shorter way to convey the same meaning. The dictionaries I found that included "scientifical" all listed "scientific" as a synonym.

Although I wouldn't object to someone using "scientifical," I wouldn't use it myself. Nor do I see it in use in scientific publications, and I read a lot of those.

Reply
Posts: 0
Guest
(@Anonymous)
Joined: 1 second ago

Using "scientifical" is "impractic."  

Reply
Posts: 0
Guest
(@Anonymous)
Joined: 1 second ago

 

 

"Using "scientifical" is "impractic."

 

Efficiency is the regnant goal of industrial modernity and the destroyer of a thoughtful and sedulous humanity.

 

//

Reply
Posts: 0
Guest
(@Anonymous)
Joined: 1 second ago

Industric.

Reply
Page 1 / 6