plaiting vs. braidingkytheriakhthoniNovember 13 2007, 10:54:57 UTC
As near as I can tell "plait" and "braid" both mean "interweave the strands". Plait is just the Latin root and braid the Germanic. Distinction without a difference. I hate that!
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary Main Entry: plait 1 : \ˈplāt, ˈplat\ (noun) [Etymology: Middle English pleit, from Anglo-French pleit, plei, pli, from Vulgar Latin *plicitum, from neuter of Latin plicitus, past participle of plicare to fold - more at ply; 14th century] 1: pleat 2: a braid of material (as hair or straw); specifically : pigtail plait 2 (transitive verb) [14th century] 1: pleat 1 2 a: to interweave the strands or locks of : braid b: to make by plaiting
Main Entry: 1 braid \ˈbrād\ (transitive verb) [Etymology: Middle English breyden to move suddenly, snatch, plait, from Old English bregdan; akin to Old High German brettan to draw (a sword); before 12th century] 1 a: to make from braids b: to form (three or more strands) into a braid
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Re: plaiting vs. braidingovate14November 14 2007, 05:22:01 UTC
The book talked about that, how the words mean basically the same thing but in common usage (at least in Australia) braiding means pretty much all of it while plaiting has come to mean braiding leather around something like a handle.
Re: plaiting vs. braidingkytheriakhthoniNovember 14 2007, 13:02:01 UTC
I just go caught between two conflicting biases.
I hate pretentious jargon. But I'm in favor of linguistic drift (It is sort of like being in favor of continental drift, it isn't as if my opinion has any effect).
When I thought he was just making unnecessary distinctions I was irked. But now that you tell me he is just reporting local usage, that's OK.
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I ordered it at the same time as the knot book they just didn't have it in stock.
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http://www.m-w.com/dictionary
Main Entry: plait 1 : \ˈplāt, ˈplat\ (noun) [Etymology: Middle English pleit, from Anglo-French pleit, plei, pli, from Vulgar Latin *plicitum, from neuter of Latin plicitus, past participle of plicare to fold - more at ply; 14th century]
1: pleat
2: a braid of material (as hair or straw); specifically : pigtail
plait 2 (transitive verb) [14th century]
1: pleat 1
2 a: to interweave the strands or locks of : braid b: to make by plaiting
Main Entry: 1 braid \ˈbrād\ (transitive verb) [Etymology: Middle English breyden to move suddenly, snatch, plait, from Old English bregdan; akin to Old High German brettan to draw (a sword); before 12th century]
1 a: to make from braids
b: to form (three or more strands) into a braid ( ... )
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I hate pretentious jargon. But I'm in favor of linguistic drift (It is sort of like being in favor of continental drift, it isn't as if my opinion has any effect).
When I thought he was just making unnecessary distinctions I was irked. But now that you tell me he is just reporting local usage, that's OK.
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