-ware

Words that end in "-ware" seem to fall into different categories:

• computing terms, especially the various manifestations of software, classified mainly according to their method of distribution and licensing agreement (such as free-ware or share-ware) or according to their function and purpose (such as ad-ware or spy-ware);
• types of products named after their constituent materials (such as glass-ware or copper-ware) from the word ware meaning manufactured goods such those stored in a warehouse;
• general groupings of items available for sale or use in a specific context (such as gift-ware or kitchen-ware).

One should not confuse these with similar retail groupings which use the separate suffix "-wear" such as menswear, childrenswear or sleepwear.

List of examples

Examples (naming logic) include:

• Abandonware (by license)
• Adware (by function)
• Basketware (by material)
• Be-ware
• Beerware (by license)
• Blackmailware (by function)
• Bloatware
• Careware
• Chinaware (by material)
• Copperware (by material)
• Corningware (by function)
• Crippleware (by license)
• Cyberware
• Donationware
• Drinkware
• Earthenware
• Firmware
• Flatware
• Freeware (by license)
• Giftware
• Glassware (by material)
• Guiltware
• Hardware
• Kitchenware (by function)
• Malware (by function)
• Metalware
• Middleware (by function)
• Nagware
• Netware
• Otherware
• Payware (by license)
• Postcardware
• Ransomware (by license)
• Scareware
• Software
• Shareware (by license)
• Silverware (by material)
• Spyware (by function)
• Stemware
• Stoneware (by material)
• Tableware
• Tupperware
• Vaporware
• VMware (by function)
• Wetware

See also

• warez

Donate to Wikimedia