I re-read parts of this thread after ChalkLine posted and I wanted to ask a question about American English. Now I am in no way trying to be the grammar police or trying to derail this thread but the use of this particular word caused me some confusion when I first read it in a post and it did the same when I read it again a few minutes ago.
The word in question is "vice". It's being used instead othe word "versus" and again, I bring this up because use of "vice" caused me a few minutes of head shaking until I figured out what was meant.
When did vice start being used instead of versus? This is the quote that Raellus used in his post: -
Camopedia
"Polish military parachute shrouds for special operations (vice standard airborne operations, which have always been white)..."
I can understand if the use of vice is to shorten the term vice versa but if so, it's still incorrect use of the word vice, vice versa meaning the reverse order of what has been stated and vice itself having several meanings, none of which mean versus/in contrast to.
So yeah, when I see vice used in the context it was on the camopedia entry whatever concept the writer is trying to portay is obscured until I remember it's being used instead of versus. Versus is only two letters longer so it surely can't be for the ease of typing/writing?
So my question is when & why did the use of vice instead of versus become the norm in American English? Or is it the norm? Is it just used by some people and not universally accepted in American English?
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01-30-2018, 03:53 AM
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