Subject: Re: (SC24.42) Revised definition for Multimedia

From: Chris Cartledge <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 14:40:01 +0100

On 24 Sep 1993, Barry J. Shepherd wrote:

> 
> Note:  The term multimedia is an adjective.  

I know not who try to assert things like this, but it ignores current
English and US usage.  There is little point in inaccurate pendentary. 
Common usage is that multimedia is a noun that refers to a set
technologies. 

People who say it is an adjective presumably base their statement on the
fact that it often appears with another noun, but noun sequences are
common in English. Rosemary Learnard's book of 1985 discusses the problem
of understanding such sequences:  "A sponge-bag is a bag for or containing
a sponge or sponges".  Similarly a multimedia machine is a machine for or
containing multimedia, but this does not necessarily make multimedia an
adjective.  

A test is to replace multimedia by, say, memory an noun
according to Chambers, not an adjective - if the sentence still makes
sense multimedia need not be an adjective.  Common usage for a noun would
be sentences where it appears as a subject or object of a clause:
Multimedia is ...

I certainly will continue, like many others, to use multimedia as a noun
and regard those who say it is an adjective and p...ing into the w... :-)

Clear examples of the use of multimedia as a noun include the following
quotes 

"multimedia can no longer be dismissed as mere marketting hype"
Windows User Sep 93

"Many multimedia mail systems have acheived success with a moderate-sized
user community but all of them have failed to make MULTIMEDIA capabilities
..."
While the first reference in the above sentence may be adjectival the
second does not seem to be (my emphasis) 
Multimedia Electronic Mail: Will the Dream become a Reality? 
Nathaniel S Borenstein: CACM April 91

Multimedia 93
Exhibition name

Regards

Chris Cartledge

Academic Computing Services, University of Sheffield, GB-Sheffield, S10 2TN
Tel: 0742 824274, Fax: 0742 753899