CLPEX Chat Board

Would like to acknowledge RL Tavernaro's posting in another thread about Galton's work. I had mistakenly listed the 1892 book as "Fingerprints" and Robert wrote it correctly as "Finger Prints". I once had an original edition so I knew that and just got careless. "Finger Prints" vs. "Fingerprints", another subject that I once wrote about. Anyway, I did not need to clutter the 'One Discrepancy Rule' thread with this information. Robert, thank you for providing the correct title.

Ernie,

Where is it that you wrote about this, and when? I'm curious what the basic thought is behind the two terms. I usually think of older books when I think of "finger prints," and I think of newer books when I think of "fingerprints."

Somewhere along the way the two words merged into one. If you go to dictionary.com, you'll find that it won't have an entry for "finger print," however it will suggest "fingerprint."

Steve,

Upon further review, "wrote about it", was a bit strong. I made the following observation on the subject in a trade publication, "When information is obtained from early sources, you may see “finger prints” used instead of “fingerprints”. Sir Francis Galton’s publication in 1892 was “Finger Prints” and the two-word form was in use for many years. A change to the one-word combination version was helped along when the FBI started using ‘fingerprints’ in the title of their publication, “Classification of Fingerprints”. In 1954, there was more movement to the one-word version when Frederick R. Cherrill published, “The Fingerprint System at Scotland Yard”. The venerable Scotland Yard had capitulated! In July 1972, the “Finger Print and Identification Magazine” of the Institute of Applied Science became the “Fingerprint and Identification Magazine” and the last authoritative publication had adopted the one-word version. Their reasons are interesting, but we leave it to you to read their comments. This is why you may still see ‘finger prints’ when references are taken directly from early sources. (Fingerprint and Identification Magazine, The Institute of Applied Science, July 1972)". So, your reference to differences in time periods is accurate and check out the issue of FP&I Magazine.

Ernie