I received the following email recently about the term “on premise” vs. “on-premises” as it relates to the marketing of cloud computing:
“The word ‘premise’ is not being used appropriately and it is being used over and over. The correct word is ‘premises’. This is so bad for a company of your stature and I feel embarrassed for you.
From Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)
PREMISE (noun)
- a proposition that forms the basis of an argument or from which a conclusion is drawn
PREMISES (plural noun)
- land and buildings
- a building or part of a building, especially when used for commercial purposes
Do you agree with this premise?
Digging through the collateral of many vendors, analysts and customers, it’s clear that I’m not the only guilty party here. I’ve now gone from initial embarrassment to frustration to confusion because of this email. Fortunately I was able to look to Dilbert for solace: