computerese

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin con-

Latin putus

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin putō

Latin computō

Latin computārelbor.

French computerbor.

English compute

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-os?

Proto-Indo-European *-o-

Proto-Indo-European *-so-

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂so-

Proto-Indo-European *-yós

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂s(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-āsijos

Proto-Italic *-āsios

Latin -āriusnom.

Latin -āriusbor.

Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz

Proto-West Germanic *-ārī

Old English -ere

Middle English -ere

▲

Latin -ārius

Old French -ierbor.

Middle English -er

English -er

English computer

Proto-Indo-European *-iskos

Proto-Germanic *-iskaz

Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor.

Late Latin -iscus

▲

Vulgar Latin -iscus

Etruscanbor.?

Italicbor.?

Proto-Indo-European *-wénts

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *-went-ti-der.?

▲

Ancient Greek ἐνς (ens)

Ancient Greek εἰς (eis)

Ancient Greek ἐνς (ens)der.

Latin?

Latin -ī?

Latin -ēnsis

Old French -eisbor.

Middle English -eys

English -ese

English computerese

From computer + -ese.

Noun

computerese (uncountable)

1. (informal, dated) The jargon associated with computers.
   • 1997, Jerry Joyce, Microsoft Word 97 At a Glance, Microsoft Press, page 1:

     No Computerese!¶ Let's face it–when there's a task you don't know how to do but you need to get it done in a hurry, or when you're stuck in the middle of a task and can't figure out what to do next, there's nothing more frustrating than having to read page after page of technical background material.

Translations

Translations

• Italian: informatichese (it)