meaning - What does "cyber-" actually mean?


I'm heading into the postgraduate phase of my Computer Science-oriented studies, and I can't put my finger on what this root means.


According to Etymology Online it comes from Cybernetics, which in turn comes from the greek for "Helmsman" and is the study of governation or governing systems.


But modern usage, such as cyberspace, cybercafe, cyberattack, cyberterrorism, cybermosque, cybersex, cyberbullying, and such seem to use it synonymously with "Internet"


Of course, you could argue that you use a cybercafe to interact with a primitive virtual governor, a cyberspace is a place where a lot of virtual governors "reside", while cyberattacks try to disrupt these governors.


But cyberbullying and "cybering" really don't fit into that scheme, unless you were to day that cyberbullying is "bullying by relaying domineering or intimidating messages with the help of a governor." but then again "physics" could be a governor. You shout mean things into the air and physics makes sure your overbearing soundwaves propagate to your target.


Bo that would mean that pretty much everything is cyber-, because everything is controlled by something.


The rational middle ground would be for "cyber-" to now mean "internet," unless it is followed by a greek or latin root, in which case it would mean "control systems"


Is it safe to assume this?



Answer



First off, attack, terrorism and sex all have Latin roots, so your proposed rule of thumb doesn't even work on your own examples.


The closest hypernym for all the newer things cyber is probably "virtual". But not necessarily Internet-related. Any LAN can be a cyberspace. (And some might even consider a single app or game a cyberspace.)


Cybernetics and cybernetic are the odd ones out, or rather the hinge point, as they cover various meanings each. Coincidentally, that nicely demonstrates that you can't arrive at the meaning simply by looking at the word. So any rule of thumb will fail.


Cybernetics is the exact same word in any context, and it is only from that context that you can tell if it means "the theory/science of communication and control in the animal and the machine", "the art/study of governing, controlling automatic processes and communication", or "technology related to computers and Internet".


Words can have more than one meaning, and so can morphemes. If we use a morpheme to mean "dog" in one word but "truck" in another, then there simply is no middle ground. Looking at the etymology at that point is at best useless, and at worst an etymological fallacy. If you don't like my invented example and think it is an exaggeration, try and find a hypernym for "door", "passageway", and "scandal", which are only some of the meanings -gate- can have.


Likewise, -cyber- can be as flexible as we choose to make it. Cybernetics can mean whatever it means regardless of what cybercafé happens to mean. And a cyborg can sit on the subway next to a cyberterrorist, but that's about as much as they have in common. Just like nobody is offended that the woman and the wife sitting opposite them are no longer related.


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