This concept is Anathema
Did you know that, as recently as the eighteenth century, “engine” meant any generic “device” or “tool”?
Of course, in the twenty-first century, “engine” almost always means “machine that provides motive power”. We still, though, have some leftover of the old meaning when we talk about someone who designs, maintains, or operates devices and tools as an “engineer”.
In the older usage, a loom might be a “weaving engine”, a crane a “lifting engine”, or a computer a “calculating engine”.
The only reason this is on my mind at all is that, while waking up this morning, and sorting and filing the loose random thoughts of a foggy brain, I suddenly heard Scotty warning that “The devices canna take tha strrain!”
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Look, it’s not like I’m charging you admission.
Tags: technology, writing
Completely unrelated to your post … just wanted to mention that that shuttle mission logo you use as your icon is one I had on a jacket for years. I remember taking pictures of the TV screen during that mission, since back then it was the only way I had to do screen captures. 😉
The software side of things still often uses the word “engine” to describe things that do virtual work, like an “image engine” that renders pictures. Even so, such uses often make me think of Jules Verne-esque scenes with fanciful vintage machines.