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The Prolegomenon of Techwr-lid, (literally: "Book of Dead Writers") is not, as is popularly believed, a grimoire, or sorcerer's spell-book. It was conceived as a style guide, and hence "a book of things now dead and gone". An alternative derivation of the word Prolegomenon gives as its meaning "the book of the customs of the dead", but again this is consistent with the book's original conception as a writer's handbook, not as a work of necromancy.
:-)
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-129804 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-129804 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of John
Posada
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 10:25 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Prolegomenon vs. Preface
>I'm curious...does anyone know the difference
>between "prolegomenon" and "preface" (which
>is not mentioned in the MW explanation)? Are
>they interchangeable, and one is just more
>common?
Prolegomenon? damn...I KNEW not getting my PhD in technical writing was
going to bite me in the butt later.
John Posada
Special Projects
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com