One of my pet peeves (I also have four cats and a guinea pig, in addition to the Peeve) is bad grammar. Of course, we must forgive those whose first language is not English. Today's rant deals with something that may well be the fault of the spell checker: the difference between "damp" and "dampen." 99% of the time on this forum it will be the first verb: meaning "to reduce the intensity of [a vibration, resonance, etc.]" The 2nd verb means only (so far as I know) "to moisten, to wet." Folks, you just cannot hydrate sound waves! Please give up. If you are building speakers and you really must dampen something, I recommend you use "Gorilla Glue" which is effective (and foams up and makes a mess if you're a slob like I am, but also it fills gaps -- very common in my sloppy builds) and yes, it requires you to dampen one of the points of adhesion. 🙂
Sorry Ijit - dampen or dampening is an accepted engineering term in dynamic systems.
It may be a peeve but that's your peeve.
Damping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Engineering/Courses/En4/Notes/vibrations_free_damped/vibrations_free_damped.htm
http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9781447123323-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1312047-p174243187
It may be a peeve but that's your peeve.
Damping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Engineering/Courses/En4/Notes/vibrations_free_damped/vibrations_free_damped.htm
http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9781447123323-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1312047-p174243187
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Serious thanks, Soldermizer, for vigilance regarding correct definitions of those two words. BTW, I've avoided Gorilla Glue so far because of MY own slovenly tendencies . . .
In gratitude, let me mention an effort to resurrect one old alternative to "Goodbye" : "Toodle-oo" More fun to say, and using it is an affectionate tribute to simpler days, long gone. Spread the word, OK ?
In gratitude, let me mention an effort to resurrect one old alternative to "Goodbye" : "Toodle-oo" More fun to say, and using it is an affectionate tribute to simpler days, long gone. Spread the word, OK ?
X, I searched all of the text you linked to for the word dampen. It only appears in the first link where it is described as inappropriate when used "to describe the reduction in amplitude of a force, a harmonic oscillation, or similar physical process or phenomenon". Please correct me if I messed that up...
Not the 1st time this has been discussed. The last one i saw determined, thru the use of disctionaries, that they are both fine for describing the function.
dave
I was trying to show context of engineering use. But if you insist on grammar police, here is the grammarist definition.
Dampen, damper, dampener - Grammarist
"Damper‘s corresponding verb is dampen, which means to deaden, restrain, or depress. Of course, dampen also means to make slightly wet."
It's its, they're their there, you're your. Okay, I'm done. I just needed to get that out of my system...
Being that English is such a perfect language, with only a single absolute definition for each word, it'd only be non native speakers whom could be excused for incorrect usage of the wrong words, eh? 😀
Now, shall we consider ending a sentence with a proposition? - that's precisely the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put 😉
Now, shall we consider ending a sentence with a proposition? - that's precisely the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put 😉
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Since I'm from the foothills of Appalachia, is it correct and proper fer me to say.. "I'ma gunna dampin' them monkey coffins with some stuffin'!" 😉
Hi,
Whats for sure is you can have damp weather and damp cellars.
You can dampen stuff by making it wetter but cannot damp it.
You can damp or dampen resonances and this can be called
damping or dampening. However the instrinsic Q of the
system is always its damping, and dampening implies
modification, i.e. damping damping. Dampening never
means the intrinsic Q damping, whilst damping can
mean dampening the intrinsic Q damping.
rgds, sreten.
Whats for sure is you can have damp weather and damp cellars.
You can dampen stuff by making it wetter but cannot damp it.
You can damp or dampen resonances and this can be called
damping or dampening. However the instrinsic Q of the
system is always its damping, and dampening implies
modification, i.e. damping damping. Dampening never
means the intrinsic Q damping, whilst damping can
mean dampening the intrinsic Q damping.
rgds, sreten.
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I can't get too worked up over usage and grammar mistakes. I don't view the forum as being so formal that posts need impeccable proofreading. Poor punctuation is more irritating because things can quickly become agonizing to read. Often, understanding isn't at all hampered by errors in usage and grammar (ending a sentence with a "proposition," for instance).
Totally agree.
If you have a long post, break it up into paragraphs.
Makes it so much easier to read.
If you have a long post, break it up into paragraphs.
Makes it so much easier to read.
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