this post was submitted on 19 May 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] slurpinderpin@lemmy.world 17 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Why do people in the UK and US say “maths” vs “math”?

[–] criticon@lemmy.ca 45 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] felbane@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago (2 children)

There should be a trail of Us that have fallen off the ship.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 11 points 5 months ago

colour> color

spourts > sports

[–] Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca 35 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Because it's the short form of "mathematics"

Although typically I've seen the UK call it maths and North Americans call it math.

[–] RandomWalker@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Is the ending s kept on abbreviations of other singular nouns ending in s? Or is that unique to maths?

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I would say we disagree with the premise of the question. Mathematics is not a singular noun. It's a plural. It's the field of all mathematics. Therefore you preserve the "s" because you abbreviate the singular and re-pluralise it.

So somebody in the UK might (not commonally) say "it's a math(matic) concept", but more likely to say "it's a concept from math(ematic)s" or "it's a mathematical concept".

[–] RandomWalker@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

That’s interesting. What about talking about it as a subject or a class? Would you say maths are my favorite subject(s?) in school? Maths are my favorite class?

[–] insaneinthemembrane@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Good one, no way say maths is... I guess it's the subject of mathematics is my favourite.

[–] Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

To the best of my understanding, mathematics isn't referencing a singular object but is used as an encompassing term to refer to content from multiple schools of mathematics e.g. geometry, statistics, calculus, algebra etc. Or in other words, all the subjects covered in math/maths class! 😊

[–] mranachi@aussie.zone 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] Tomato666@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Maphs could be used here too...

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 11 points 5 months ago (4 children)

There's more than one type of math. Would you say physic?

[–] PrimeErective@startrek.website 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

C m8 they'res only 1 kinda reel sport nd thats footie.

[–] onion@feddit.de 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Germans and French do

[–] slurpinderpin@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I get it, but I’m more curious why it’s said differently?

[–] nyctre@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There's usually a long explanation for these types of things which most of the time boils down to "because that's how people have been saying it and it's become the norm."

Many linguistical mistakes have been overused to the point of them changing their meaning. Take "decimation". It used to mean to kill 1 in every 10. Because it sounds cool and has been used in a lot of media, it now mainly means to kill or destroy a large part of something.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 2 points 5 months ago

The meaning of “siege” has gone from sitting outside a castle or town until everyone starves to just about any kind of military action involving a building. Probably partly because the Iran embassy Siege off the 80s was endlessly represented on TV by footage of the SAS breaking the siege by abseiling through the windows.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 2 points 5 months ago

You should be asking yourself that. ;)

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Do you guys also say Geographies? Or Histories? Do you take Arts classes? You take Physics, do you also have Chemistries and Biologies?

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Lego is the only correct version though, it is defined by the company that created it so its not 'open to interpretation' imo.

[–] d00ery@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I agree with you. A sheep and some sheep are the same to me 😂