Tom Duffy Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 I have a bunch of books in my technical library here, some with "Time Code", and some with "Timecode". Anybody got a more accurate idea of when the two words became one (and why)? Wikipedia is useless here. "TIME CODE HANDBOOK" publshed 1982 "EECO SMPTE/EBU Longitudinal & Vertical Interval Time Code" - 1982 "MIDI TIME CODE" chapter of MIDI spec - sometime after MIDI spec first published in 1983 "HANDBOOK OF RECORDING ENGINEERING" 1986 - "Time Code" "RDAT" 1991 "Timecode" "TIMECODE A User's GUIDE" first published 1993 "PRACTICAL ART of MOTION PICTURE SOUND" 1999 - "Timecode" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 Good question, Tom, and the "student of language" that I am, this is quite intriguing. It may turn out to be one of those things where both terms-spellings are acceptable and co-exist. One possible origin of it becoming one word, at times, may come from use of the term on computer file names and language where two words are not acceptable. I can imagine "timecode" all lower case and one word showing up in a file name rather than "Time Code" or "Time_Code" or "time_code" etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Frias Posted July 21, 2015 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 You can thank compound nouns: http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/compound-nouns/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Duffy Posted July 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 From 1971 when SMPTE/EBU Time Code was born until at least 1990 (maybe 1996), broadcast and recording professionals only referred to Time Code. That's plenty of time for the compound noun effect to have taken place already, but it didn't - I'm guessing that these professionals maintained the original spelling because accuracy in communication is important, and those selling Time Code compatible products would be at a disadvantage or cause confusion if they started using different but similar naming. My guess is that that 20+ years was enough that people who worked in the industry under these professionals started to write about the processes, and being unware (first hand) of the origins, wrote it as they heard it, therefore bringing Timecode into the dictionary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickreich Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 Germans have a particular affinity for compound nouns, and our Industry has a particular affinity for German Timecode (that's how Ambient spell it) equipment! I get lots of Camera Ops and Assistants asking for "TC" - probably because that's what's written on their camera beside the socket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 It started when craft services served "moonshine"! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 2015 and Sony refer to 'Time Code' and Atomos refer to 'Timecode' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 It's kinda like "Video Tape" and "videotape." Old broadcast people may recall that Ampex trademarked the term "VTR" in the 1950s, so rival RCA could not technically use the word "VTR" on their products or advertisements. As a result, they got around the trademark by calling their machines "TTRs," short for Television Tape Recorders. Eventually, Ampex and RCA buried the hatchet and the term became ubiquitous. I've always leaned towards the compound word "timecode" just because it felt right, looked good, and communicated the thought more effectively. Language evolves, as does spelling and usage, but technically SMPTE does still refer to "Time Code" in their official standards, and several professional timecode generator devices refer to "Time Code" as well, like Evertz of Canada and Denecke in California. We don't say "time code" with a pause between the words, so I say one word makes common sense. SMPTE timecode did derive from the original EECO time code system of the early 1970s, which I dimly recall being used by several LA companies in the late 1970s. I only consciously remember SMPTE timecode appearing when Sony & Ampex 1" C VTRs were introduced in mid-1979. Timecode-capable 3/4" BVU machines came out around the same time. Some things about language are issues on which I dig in my heels and refuse to compromise. One is the use of "impact" as a verb: "the stock market crash will impact unemployment tomorrow." Hate it. I'd prefer to say "the stock market crash will have an impact on unemployment tomorrow." Clarity and economy of words is important... even for a message as longwinded as this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 And I thought Americans were past masters at playing free and easy with the Queens English....:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Frias Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 I've always leaned towards the compound word "timecode" just because it felt right, looked good, and communicated the thought more effectively. Language evolves, as does spelling and usage, but technically SMPTE does still refer to "Time Code" in their official standards, and several professional timecode generator devices refer to "Time Code" as well, like Evertz of Canada and Denecke in California. We don't say "time code" with a pause between the words, so I say one word makes common sense. Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted July 22, 2015 Report Share Posted July 22, 2015 And I thought Americans were past masters at playing free and easy with the Queens English....:) What is that old phrase, "the United States and Great Britain, two countries separated by a common language..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 (edited) Timecode became a single word when it started being thought of as a single entity as opposed to being a descriptive phrase ("time code" referring to a code for marking time). Truthfully, since it is a recently made up (made-up or madeup?) word, it is still in transition, so neither is incorrect at this point. It is common during such a transition to have a period of hyphenation, so "time-code" could technically also be correct at this point in time(code). Next topic: Is it time for user bits to become userbits? Edited July 23, 2015 by Glen Trew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted July 23, 2015 Report Share Posted July 23, 2015 I'm a big fan of userbits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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