[Uim] [Docs] Terminology problems

Etsushi Kato ek.kato at gmail.com
Wed Mar 14 11:10:32 EET 2007


On 3/13/07, Jan Willem Stumpel <jstumpel at planet.nl> wrote:
> This is not really an answer your post, but a side-line: Microsoft
> also uses the term "Input Method Editor", or IME, although I never
> found out what exactly they mean by it: "Japanese IME" is
> obviously a "method", but "Global IME" seems to be a "framework".

I'm not totally sure about the terminology, but I think IME is
specific word for Microsoft's Japanese input method for Windows.  I
don't refert ATOK in Windows as IME.  But I may be wrong.

> I never understood why IME means "Input Method Editor", because
> why is it an "editor"? I suspect that IME is really a Japanese
> abbreviation of "input method". In Japanese, abbreviations are
> made of kana; compare "pasokon", "wapuro", etc.; so "input method"
> would naturally become "ime". The term "IME" would then have
> entered international usage through Japanese. Perhaps the Japanese
> members of this list can throw light on this linguistic question.
> For instance, how is IME pronounced in Japan? eemeh or eye-em-ee?

eye-em-ee, I think.

Cheers,
-- 
Etsushi Kato
ek.kato at gmail.com



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