What's in a name? (was Re: wanted: UNIX or clone)

[Ken Lerman]

In article <3028 at cirrusl.UUCP> dhesi%cirrusl at oliveb.ATC.olivetti.com (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
|In <1991Apr1.144722.1753 at telly.on.ca> evan at telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes:
|
|>First off, nobody I know in this market uses the word "Unix". Everyone
|>selling the product uses the all-caps version, "UNIX".
|
|The key distinction is that UNIX is an adjective, while Unix is a
|noun.  If you're talking about a *thing* you say Unix;  if you're
|*describing* that thing you say UNIX.  When you say "UNIX operating
|system" you are in effect saying "an operating system whose
|characteristics are described by the adjective UNIX".  When you say
|"Berkeley Unix" you are in effect saying "A Unix whose characteristics
|are described by the noun Berkeley used as an adjective".  It is
|grammatically wrong to say "Berkeley UNIX".  It is marginally correct
|to say "Unix operating system" (because although Unix is a noun it is
|possible to use it as an adjective).
|
|The orthogonality is not complete and you don't usually say "UNIX
|Unix", because it sounds awkward, although it is grammatically
|correct.
|--
|Rahul Dhesi <dhesi at cirrus.COM>
|UUCP:  oliveb!cirrusl!dhesi

The reason for this is that legally, trademarks are adjectives.
People don't eat Jello; they eat Jello brand skin and bones extract.

And the trademark for the operating system is UNIX, not Unix.

Ken