Why do Brits, and their colonies, refer to every electronic ignition as a CDI?

[Allie]

With the other Kids.

I was thinking just for Effect.

[bwringer]

I got nuthin'. I've never figured out how or why the acronym for a specific and somewhat rare type of ignition became so widely generalized.

It's some sort of distant linguistic cousin of "ATM Machine" and "PIN Number".


On a semi-related note, I've scored some great deals on fleaBay parts by asking myself "how would a moron describe or misspell this?"

[earlfor]

I get it. Very good.



Let's see...H1 Mach III, or rotary Suzuki? Kawasaki all day long. And if you rode the H1 all day long, you (or your widow) deserve a medal.

Not having a car, I bought a new H1 in 1974 and rode it everyday for three years. It was not at all the dangerous machine people seem to think it was. It had it's quirks and it could bite, (like most any bike of the day) but overall, it was the most fun on two wheels of anything I have ridden. You don't know what fun is until you've ridden something that will do a wheelie in the middle of a fast sweeper, or go sideways when the throttle is abruptly whacked open. LMAO

[earlfor]

On a semi-related note, I've scored some great deals on fleaBay parts by asking myself "how would a moron describe or misspell this?"

Yeah, every now and then, you'll find a Kwasaki Murder for sale on ebay. heh

[fbody_mike]

I got nuthin'. I've never figured out how or why the acronym for a specific and somewhat rare type of ignition became so widely generalized.

It's some sort of distant linguistic cousin of "ATM Machine" and "PIN Number".


On a semi-related note, I've scored some great deals on fleaBay parts by asking myself "how would a moron describe or misspell this?"

Yup, I will look up Camero instead of Camaro, great for bid auctions. Or for some people any black box with lots of wires on it automatically gets labeled "computer".

[Who Dat?]

Maybe they lack the capacity to learn the difference?

Do I need to go stand in the Hall?

I was thinking just for Effect.

Just don't resist the urge, OK?

[Allie]

I got nuthin'. I've never figured out how or why the acronym for a specific and somewhat rare type of ignition became so widely generalized.

It's some sort of distant linguistic cousin of "ATM Machine" and "PIN Number".


On a semi-related note, I've scored some great deals on fleaBay parts by asking myself "how would a moron describe or misspell this?"

That always killed me, along with MAC Card.

[Allie]

Just don't resist the urge, OK?

I would Never.

[Grimly]

Maybe they lack the capacity to learn the difference?

But maybe they've got a cool 'ome.

[tatu]

Canada does seem to generally be an exception.

How did this become an accepted part of speech?

Oh dear..
Maybe because all us ex Colonialists are too thick to know the differences
Britain doesn't have much left in the way of colonies left compared to the 4/5s of the Globe that used to be Pink on the world map when I went to school. So these days it is more ex Colonies and um.. well, that includes America.
Come to think of it I don't think there's even a name for electronic ignition in Swahili or even ignition... So for me.. Non moving and unfixable sparky devices will remain CDI and clicky moving and openey shutty almost infinitely repairable almost anywhere will still be referred to as points ignition

But to be fair you're right I am guilty of a heinous crime, however, if i remember to think about it tomorrow I'll try to care.

[Rob S.]

Not having a car, I bought a new H1 in 1974 and rode it everyday for three years. It was not at all the dangerous machine people seem to think it was. It had it's quirks and it could bite, (like most any bike of the day) but overall, it was the most fun on two wheels of anything I have ridden. You don't know what fun is until you've ridden something that will do a wheelie in the middle of a fast sweeper, or go sideways when the throttle is abruptly whacked open. LMAO

You're making me drool. I rode a Z1 widow-maker (my cousin's best friend died flying off it), but the only Kaw two-stroke triple I ever rode was the 400. Nice, but not scary enough.

[earlfor]

You're making me drool. I rode a Z1 widow-maker (my cousin's best friend died flying off it), but the only Kaw two-stroke triple I ever rode was the 400. Nice, but not scary enough.

Yeah, the Kaw S-1 400 was a very different animal.

[derwood]

Boyer Bransden, that's why

[bwringer]

Come to think of it I don't think there's even a name for electronic ignition in Swahili or even ignition...

I just had to try...

Google Translate sez it's "moto wa umeme".

Makes sense... "moto" is easy. But it actually means "fire", not motorcycle or engine, disappointingly.

"wa" because your engine goes "waaaaaaaaaa". But it means something like "of".

"umeme" because that means "lightning" (or electricity if you're boring).


"Fire of lightning" ("lightning fire" or "electric fire") is one hell of a lot cooler than "electronic ignition".

And I just learned today that "motorcycle" in Swahili is "pikipiki".

Pretty much anything you want to say is going to be 1000x cooler in Swahili than English. There are tons of brand names and such that use Swahili words.

[tatu]

I just had to try...

Google Translate sez it's "moto wa umeme".

Makes sense... "moto" is easy. But it actually means "fire", not motorcycle or engine, disappointingly.

"wa" because your engine goes "waaaaaaaaaa". But it means something like "of".

"umeme" because that means "lightning" (or electricity if you're boring).


"Fire of lightning" ("lightning fire" or "electric fire") is one hell of a lot cooler than "electronic ignition".

And I just learned today that "motorcycle" in Swahili is "pikipiki".

Pretty much anything you want to say is going to be 1000x cooler in Swahili than English. There are tons of brand names and such that use Swahili words.

Well done, I think you pretty much nailed it.
Moto covers pretty much everything from 'hot' meaning simply hot to touch right through to arc welding. Sitima is also used meaning electricity but still nothing differentiating between electronic or points ignition and in this case i would use moto to describe a spark. FYI spark plug in swahili is spark plugi. This goes for lots of stuff that is new to the language brought from abroad. Nuti na Bolti and so on.

Things like Pikipiki originally used to describe scooters because that's the sound they made and of course motorcycles, as you say irrespective of size are known as Pikipikis as well. There are very few bikes of any size here mostly Chinese 150-200cc rubbish that can be bought new for 800 to 1000 US$. Thousands and thousands of them, the injury and death rate is huge.

Swahili is one of the most spoken languages in the world and is spreading, It's a mix of Arabic and the coastal language of East Africa I suppose going back to the Sultan of Oman who used to own until very recently owned the 10 miles strip of land from the coast inland of Kenya and Tanzania and made his seat of power in Zanzibar this way he could control the slave, ivory and cloves. (As decreed by the Sultan of Oman many years ago, its illegal to remove a clove bush on Zanzibar and Pemba and if one is destroyed then three have to be planted elsewhere). Remembering that you can fit the USA into Africa 5 times so it's a vast area I've got by on the West coast of the continent speaking Swahili (Swahili is also spoken in Oman though mostly it's Arabic) For example Fish in Arabic is Samak, Swahili is Samaki, water, Ma swahili Maji and so on. It is unusual for whites to speak Swahili on the other side of the continent and is fun to watch whoever your speaking to do a double take.

Everybody knows the word Safari, its Swahili and means journey (of any kind)