Shortly after writing the last, my wife and I were watching People's Court. During one segment, the plaintiff and defendant each began numerous sentences with "So..."
He discusses battery sizes, but fails to mention why we English speakers have taken to calling a voltaic cell a battery. "Battery" implies two or more of something. Once upon a time we DID say "cell," but no more. So... why? What a revolting development, I say. We also used to call them "accumulators," which is still the German term. In French it's "pile," presumably because a small one resembles a French hemorrhoid. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff,
Originally posted by Geoff: He discusses battery sizes, but fails to mention why we English speakers have taken to calling a voltaic cell a battery. "Battery" implies two or more of something. Once upon a time we DID say "cell," but no more.
Did we?
quote:
1748 B. Franklin Let. in Exper. & Observ. Electr. (1751) 26 An electrical battery, consisting of eleven panes of large sash-glass, arm'd with thin leaden plates.
1822 T. Webster Imison's Elem. Sci. & Art (new ed.) I. 340 When a number of Jars are thus connected it is called a battery.
1801 Sir H. Davy in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 91 400 The third and most powerful class of Galvanic batteries..is formed, when metallic substances, oxidable in acids..are connected, as plates, with oxidating fluids.
1812 H. Davy Elements Chem. Philos. 162 Zinc, copper, and nitric acid form a powerful battery.
c1865 J. Wylde Circle of Sci. I. 190/1 No arrangement equals Grove's platina battery.
I thought you meant that we used to say “battery cell” instead of “battery”, but you meant something else. I don’t think “battery” implies two or more of something. I don’t see why the fact that we can discuss batteries without mentioning their internal composition is to be regretted.This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,
Originally posted by Geoff: When/how/why did "cell" imply just one?
Just one what?
quote:
In common usage, the word "battery" has come to include a single galvanic cell, but a battery properly consists of multiple cells.[1]
The source for this is the M-W entry for “battery”. But I dont see how M-W provides evidence that “a battery properly consists of multiple cells.” Whether or not a battery “properly consists of multiple cells” is an electical argument, not a linguistic one. I know nothing about electronics.
Or, maybe it’s about specialized electronic vocabulary where “battery” means something different than it does in standard English.This message has been edited. Last edited by: goofy,
A battery is a collection of cells. The more cells, the higher the voltage. That's why electric cars need such heavy batteries, to get the necessary volts.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geoff, 
