[ILUG] Linux.ie and Spam

[Ciaran Costelloe]

"Rick Moen" <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:
> Quoting Ciaran Costelloe (ccostelloe at flogas.ie):
>
> > Are you sure?  The word originally meant a poisonous substance, as in
> > the pus from an ulcer.
>
> It's what the dictionaries seem to say -- though I'll not be able to
> check my _OED_ until I get home.

It may go back even further, to the even earlier usage where it was the
sap from a plant.

> > More correct than the vernacular usage: most people use the word fish
> > where they should be using fishes.
>
> OK, but in this case the vernacular usage _is_ "viruses", so I'm still
> not getting your point.

Obviously unclear of me, but we agree - I was digging at the reference
to Latin, which some interpret as requiring the plural to be virus or
(worse) virii.

Glad to see you are not at home and are presumably out supporting your
buddy's State Of The Union Address :-)

Ciaran