ISIL vs ISIS

Isis

In a newsroom…

Andrew Preston: Associated Press are using ISIL instead of ISIS now.

Wally Post: ISIL? ISIS is a little easier to say, and it recalls the Egyptian goddess of fertility, Isis.

Andrew Preston: So ISIL seems more like an abbreviation than an acronym?

Wally Post: Wouldn’t go that far, they are both pronounceable. It’s just the majestic image of Isis in “Glory to Egypt, hail to thee, Isis of strength and power…”

Andrew Preston: I think it went

“Glory to Isis and the land

By her firm arm protected!

To Egypt's King elected,

Raise we our festive songs!”

Wally Post: Anyway, ISIS as an acronym that connotes something majestic. Not sure if Islamic State of Iraq and Syria suggests that… I mean, terrorism is not majestic.

Andrew Preston: So maybe a clumsy and brutal abbreviation is more apt than a cultured acronym.

__________

Voice-over

ISIS: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
ISIL: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

See Washington Post June 18, 2014

Analogue digital mix

Amid an exchange of abbreviations, Gerhard helps Ned get his car going.

...

Gerhard: Maybe the EST has a bit of H20 in it.

Ned: It’s not a DIS system.

Gerhard: No, this is an oddity, this box on the coil, it does the EST work, then sends the current to a distributor. Here, just hold the DVOM a sec will you?

Ned: Odd, isn’t it. No EFI, but it has ESC.

Gerhard: It was the 80s, they were mixing it. Bits were analogue, bits were digital.

 

Voice-over

Brevity, through abbreviations, brings engineers closer together.

EST = electronic spark timing

DIS = distributorless ignition system

DVOM = digital volt-ohmmeter

EFI = electronic fuel injection

ESC = electronic spark control

...