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What is the Latin word for “software”?

“Programmatura”, “corpus programmatum” and “mollopus” were suggested on Vicipaedia.

Stefan Steiger
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    Using the interwiki links on wikipedia you arrive at https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_programmatum – Sir Cornflakes Dec 18 '17 at 13:37
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this question lacks basic research. – Sir Cornflakes Dec 18 '17 at 13:38
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    @jknappen It's not clear that the translation in Vicipaedia is the optimal one, so it makes sense to ask for a good translation here. But I agree that it would be good to acknowledge it and formulate the question accordingly. – Joonas Ilmavirta Dec 18 '17 at 22:48
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    As in french logiciel, and spanish logicial, I would propose a latin logicialis – pápilió May 03 '22 at 14:43
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    I thought it was COBOL. Unless there's another. – lapax Jul 08 '22 at 21:18
  • Possible duplicate of https://latin.stackexchange.com/questions/196/latin-word-for-code-or-program-the-verb – cmw Jul 11 '22 at 18:40

2 Answers2

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This document titled "Vocabula computatralia", apparently compiled by Konrad Kokoszkiewicz, provides some suggestions for computer-related jargon.

For "software" it directs to "program" and gives programma, atis n.

Not sure to what extent we can speak about "correct translation". A new word usually settled by the speaking/users community. Programma computatrale is used by Vicipedia for computer program ("breviter programma"), can vouch for this selection.

Now, there appear to be some distinction between "software" and "computer program"; "software" being a more general term. A software, so it appears, contains computer program and other things. So as @jk - Reinstate Monica mentioned in a comment, it might be rendered as Corpus programmatum. But, it really depands what one means by software, which I believe many mean "computer program". At any case, I would vote to have programma for both "software" and "computer program"; for the later one might want to distinct by adding computatrale.

It should be noted that the Latin programma is a word that was used long before the emergence of those green boards.

d_e
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    See also: https://latin.stackexchange.com/questions/196/latin-word-for-code-or-program-the-verb – cmw Jul 11 '22 at 18:40
  • @cmw, thanks. maybe indeed there are better options then. though, in principle, I'm not against multiple meanings for the same word. – d_e Jul 11 '22 at 19:34
  • I'm not 100% certain in English there's a historical difference between program, application, and software. – cmw Jul 11 '22 at 19:53
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In Appendix V of Conversational Latin for Oral Proficiency by John C. Traupman, a software is part·ēs -ium f. pl. programmātiōnis.

This echoes d_e's response when they said:

A software, so it appears, contains computer program and other thing.