Talk:gasoline

wrt the "uncountable" suggestion: There's no real reason why you cannot have multiple gasolines. Different ocane values, for example, different mixes, leaded/unleaded.

In that case that is a different, rarer, sense. The usual sense allows "some gasoline" rather than "some gasolines". The headword can be uncountable and countable, the primary sense is uncountable, and the secondary sense is countable. — Hippietrail 15:04, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

True, true, not sure how to notate that clearly. Both are relevant in that case, edit however you think makes it clear, I have no idea.

In theory, there are no uncountable nouns, as the plural form always refers to a type of the noun; "gasoline" is uncountable, as it is a mass noun, but if you talk about types of gasoline, you can refer to "gasolines".

Those informations are utter rubbishes! Show me where I can read this interesting alternate theory of English grammar. — Hippietrail 01:05, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)

You have just given the second definition. For some reason the article only had one concrete definition and the other was squished into the headword notes. — Hippietrail 01:05, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)

What I have done elsewhere (I can't think of a particular page off the top of my head) is to write (for example):

Noun

foo

1. (uncountable) A substance; (countable) a variety of this substance.

This might be a solution. The alternative is to scrap the uncountable/countable distinction, but this would be unwise as I think the distinction is useful, especially for learners of English. — Paul G 15:54, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Yes, that would work. I agree that the distinction should not be scrapped, in this case though there certainly are varieties of gasoline, so "gasolines" is in use, if rarely, most other uncountable nouns don't have a varieties plural in use, though as you say, theoretically one could exist.

In fact, what I've done is an attempt at something similar, though formatted in a way I feel is more clear, though you may disagree on that :) It's a start anyway, someone can fiddle later. Xrikcus

Sorry for getting gruff. In other articles I've done what I've just now done here. In the headword section put "uncountable" and "countable" or the reverse if uncountable is the rarer sense. Then put a def for each sense. Uncountable "gasoline" never means a type of gasoline, it means a substance. Therefore there are two defs. Add the 2nd def if it's missing. Put a note before each def as to whether it's countable or not. — Hippietrail 01:05, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Unicode Symbol for Gasoline

Is there a unicode symbol for gasoline as there is with currencies? (i.e. $ = dollar, £ = pound, etc) Mdkarazim 21:52, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

No. - [The]DaveRoss 01:08, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Bad etymologies?

Gasoline says it comes from "gas" + "ol" + "ine" (chemical suffix). But the Wiktionary entry for gas says it's a shortened form of "gasoline." One of these is wrong. (Unless the "gas" listed in "Gasoline" 's etymology is the state-of-matter kind of gas; but if so, then it should link to "Etymology 1" on the "gas" page, not just to "gas" itself.) Anyone know what's going on with this? 65.210.81.130 18:18, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

It doesn't come from gas at all, it is from John Cassell. I have replaced it with a more likely etymology. SpinningSpark 10:22, 27 August 2013 (UTC)