10-10-2016, 07:23 AM
While Wikipedia is quite a useful resource, I wouldn't want to use it (generally) as the authoritative source for specialists.
In fact, its main problem is that it is variable - in some areas quite specialist, and in others no better than 'hearsay'.
In any case, on the term Parchment in wikipedia it does say "may be called", but in practice one sees that this is quite rare.
Both the term "membrane" and "substrate" tend to be used by specialists for parchment in very specific contexts, e.g. for the first term when highlighting that one is speaking about a very thin piece of animal skin, and for the second term when discussing the interaction with the ink.
Parchment is clearly preferred when one simply counts the occurrences in the more reliable sources (in case one would really want to do that).
In fact, its main problem is that it is variable - in some areas quite specialist, and in others no better than 'hearsay'.
In any case, on the term Parchment in wikipedia it does say "may be called", but in practice one sees that this is quite rare.
Both the term "membrane" and "substrate" tend to be used by specialists for parchment in very specific contexts, e.g. for the first term when highlighting that one is speaking about a very thin piece of animal skin, and for the second term when discussing the interaction with the ink.
Parchment is clearly preferred when one simply counts the occurrences in the more reliable sources (in case one would really want to do that).