What is the next prefix letter?
Anyone noticed this pattern? Every decade since the wider acceptance of the internet, there has been a vowel that is used as a lowercase prefix for everything hip.
'90s: e
'00s: i
'10s: ?
So what's going to be next? a, o, u, or y? Look out for uToob.
Infinite Revolution
02-10-2007, 22:35
do 2 decades a trend make? i don't believe so. however, i predict the next will be 'a' if it is to happen. it is closest in sound to the previous two (depending on accent of course and excluding 'y' which is too big and awkward to look snappy).
alternatively, by the time we reach the '10s maybe there'll be artificial brains being created, pBrain anyone? perhaps something for a later decade when peas are no longer known as a food stuff and we all live on nutrient pills.
New Limacon
02-10-2007, 22:38
Logically it would be "o", followed by "u."
do 2 decades a trend make? i don't believe so. however, i predict the next will be 'a' if it is to happen. it is closest in sound to the previous two (depending on accent of course and excluding 'y' which is too big and awkward to look snappy).
A= artificial, which will probably make quite a bit of sense given advances in various forms of artificial intelligence.
Andaluciae
02-10-2007, 23:04
U is gonna be next.
U is gonna be next.
Yes I is.
Infinite Revolution
03-10-2007, 00:24
'a' would be silly though. The prefix 'a' has an entrenched meaning, usually translating as without'. Therefore a slogan like 'aStyle' would translate as 'without style'... just too easy for others to take the piss, methinks.
perhaps, but how many people would actually ever notice that. a few of us with linguistic training perhaps, but i doubt it would occur to most. lets face it, 'i' has taken one hell of a beating as a prefix and it remains a powerful marketing tool.
Longhaul
03-10-2007, 00:25
do 2 decades a trend make? i don't believe so. however, i predict the next will be 'a' if it is to happen. it is closest in sound to the previous two (depending on accent of course and excluding 'y' which is too big and awkward to look snappy)
'a' would be silly though. The prefix 'a' has an entrenched meaning, usually translating as without'. Therefore a slogan like 'aStyle' would translate as 'without style'... just too easy for others to take the piss, methinks.
My money's on 'q', since it's the first letter of 'quantum'.
Dryks Legacy
03-10-2007, 11:26
'a' would be silly though. The prefix 'a' has an entrenched meaning, usually translating as without'. Therefore a slogan like 'aStyle' would translate as 'without style'... just too easy for others to take the piss, methinks.
"a-" is my favourite prefix for it's simplicity and elegance, it makes some nice looking and sounding words. No-one will ever misuse it like that without me having something to say about it.
Pure Metal
03-10-2007, 11:33
"oh look, its an aPod"
sounds pretty stupid. but then so does iPod....
i'm going to place my bets on the return of "cyber"
because that's cool.
Dryks Legacy
03-10-2007, 11:49
i'm going to place my bets on the return of "cyber"
because that's cool.
Not until around 2020 :D
Unfortunately it will bring a philosophical shit-storm with it. There's actually been some stuff about this in the newspaper recently. It's coming.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7125/gitscyberbrainsdl2.jpg
Jeruselem
03-10-2007, 12:34
It's U for me. U = YOU
do 2 decades a trend make? i don't believe so.
This. Also, your basic premise is just plain wrong. The e prefix in the 90s was nowhere near as prevalent as the i prefix now. And the i prefix now is just Apple going for brand recognition, and one or two other companies trying to piggy back on that recognition. It's certainly not being attach to 'everything hip'.
Old Tacoma
03-10-2007, 12:44
It is going to be "O" for Oh shit look at what our government got us into.
Rambhutan
03-10-2007, 13:28
Prefixes are old hat, suffixes are where the future lies. I am hoping for a Mark E Smith of the Fall/Canadian 'a' sound being added after every word.
pwned could be a precursor, even if its already halfway old.
=^^=
.../\...
HC Eredivisie
03-10-2007, 13:50
It will be the 'u', for in 'uSuck' and in 'uIdiot'.:p
The Infinite Dunes
03-10-2007, 13:58
Well, everyone's already pointed out what a as a prefix means. So, as gadgets become more than more removed from their original purpose it would make sense to but use a.
I can imagine it now.
Subliminal advert: Is your life empty and hollow? You need to buy aPhone, now!
...
Consumer: Dude... wtf? This isn't a phone... it's... it's... evil! *blood curdling scream*
Merchant: That's what I said... it's an aPhone. Everything but a phone. *picks up the aPhone an places it back in its packaging to sell to his next victim*
Pathetic Romantics
03-10-2007, 15:10
Logically it would be "o", followed by "u."
No, logically it would be another 'e', then another 'i', and THEN 'o'.
Rambhutan
03-10-2007, 15:13
No, logically it would be another 'e', then another 'i', and THEN 'o'.
That would be Old McDonald logic presumably?
Ruby City
03-10-2007, 16:16
How about an "eh" suffix eh.
With products like iSmell (http://www.howstuffworks.com/internet-odor1.htm) I hope u will be next if we have to go for prefixes. "We have a special offer on uSmell... no, no I didn't mean, wait! ...dammit."
It could also be a consonant, maybe x that Microsoft are pushing for or k that KDE are pushing for.
Not until around 2020 :D
Unfortunately it will bring a philosophical shit-storm with it. There's actually been some stuff about this in the newspaper recently. It's coming.
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7125/gitscyberbrainsdl2.jpg
Awww... but I want to download my personality into an immortal*, cybernetic brain!
*For a given definition of immortal.**
** I.e. about 2 years, or just after your warranty expires, whichever is the sooner.