parts nomenclature

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jean-Jacques Granas" <jjgranas@zigzag.pl>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 3:28 AM
Subject: RE: parts nomenclature


Hello list,

As a small time linguist in my spare time, I am very excited about all this
British versus US piano terminology stuff. If any of you ever had a Haynes
mechanic's manual in your hands, you know that every one of them in its
first pages has a table presenting several dozen different UK and US terms
such as spanners/wrenches, bonnets/hoods, boots/trunk, etc.
May I venture to propose that we (those of you that may be interested - I
doubt I would have much to contribute) create such a list for parts, tools,
methods, and other piano related paraphernalia? Someone just might write a
Master's thesis on the subject. This is a legitimate persuit, people.
I also invite the Overs and Stuart crowd to contribute the cherry on the
cake with a few choice Austraylian terms.
Whaddya say ???

jj


    Sounds good, & fun, but a bit off topic in that it's not discussion of
everyday piano servicing and rebuilding which is the main reason for this
list, but I suppose if we always mark it OT or SOT (somewhat off topic) or
RT (related topic) or ???
    Jeez, it might as well be integrated with the French and German piano
terms, which in some cases have existed since the very first pianos 300
years ago (whereas Korean or Russian piano terms are probably translated
from English, French, or German).  The trouble with some e-mail programs, or
at least Outlook (Express) is that the accents and umlauts can't be included
[unless transferred from Word or other program that handles accents, etc.?]
, which bothers me, another amateur linguist, more than it would most
people.
    Now that I think of it, there is a German piano supply catalog on line,
so gleaning as many terms from it as possible would make it unnecessary to
do it here.  Maybe the same is true for French.
    One way of going about this would be to have a beefeater and an Aussie
go through the Schaff or old APSCO catalog item by item and write down any
terms that are different in the UK.  And vice versa -- have a Yank go
through a British catalog -- surely there is one / are some?   This wouldn't
cover many of the everyday tools that are common to many trades (saws,
screwdrivers, pliers, etc.), but a tool supply catalog could be used for
that.
    I recently came into possession of two old booklets on piano
construction, tuning, and repair, both printed in London, one from 1928
(first published 1905), and the other possibly older.  The latter has no
date anywhere, but is paperback, 5" x 7" (12 x 18 cm), and cost 1/6 new.  I
assume that's shillings and pence.   Anyhow, there are a number of British
terms for tools and piano parts in these books.
    --David Nereson, RPT