Terms that should never be used in engineering or that need explanation because the derivation is lost

This is grumpy old engineer territory. Here are terms used by the press and some engineers that should be consigned to a bin somewhere. These terms usually have perfectly normal alternatives that are better and more descriptive.

Wireless

Defining something by saying what it is not, is called ‘negation’ or ‘apophasis’ (from the Greek word for denial). This is why the term ‘wireless’ should not be used in professional contexts. ‘Radio’ should be used instead.

After all, if we used ‘radioless’ when describing ‘telecommunications’ (communicating by a physical medium, i.e., wire or fibre), we’d be laughed at.

Note

As a historical note, the term ‘wireless’ (specifically, a broadcast receiver with a magnetic rod antenna and not a long wire antenna) was recycled in the early 1990s by mainly American computer consultants to describe cordless computer peripherals, because the term ‘cord’ didn’t really exist in that sphere. ‘Wireless’ naturally also then applied to Wi-Fi when it appeared, because it was a cordless network connection, and then as these computer consultants started to move into the sphere of radiocommunications it started to be applied to anything that was not wired. So now we’re in the situation where our entire industry is defined by what it is not.

Essentially, ‘Wireless’ encompasses all communications that is not connected by a physical medium, i.e. Infrared remote controls are wireless, as is laser communications, or even an Aldis Lamp. All ‘wireless’. Radio is a specific sub-branch of that, so at the most basic level, referring to radio as ‘wireless’ is lazy and imprecise.

Spectrum Band

Spectrum is spectrum. Bands are bits of spectrum, so whilst Spectrum Band is valid as a description, it’s not usual to deviate from ‘frequency band’ or ‘waveband’, the latter being archaic. The same goes for ‘spectrum waveband’ or ‘frequency waveband’. When talking about spectrum, it is acceptable to refer to a band as itself, i.e. ‘a/the band’ or perhaps to use the frequency involved as well, so ‘5GHz band’ but not ‘5GHz spectrum band’. Using the wavelength is also acceptable, so ‘10cm band’ or ‘4m band’ is valid, although in the UK at least, this terminology is mainly restricted to radio amateurs or the microwave bands.

Antennae

In radiocommunications, the plural of ‘antenna’ is ‘antennas’, as it is an American word derived from the italian for ‘The Tent’ (La tenda), which is how Marconi described the strange antennas used in early radio trials. Insects have ‘antennae’, because they usually have more than one antenna, from the Greek word for a feeler, rod, etc.

Aerial

In British radio engineering, an aerial is an antenna used for broadcast reception, i.e., a ‘TV aerial’. In all other cases, ‘antenna’ is preferred. However, you’ll find that radio engineers will often refer to an antenna as an aerial just for lols.

Filament

From French: Literally, a thread (of wire) ‘fil à ment’, probably describing a piece of wire as thin as a thread.