abandonware

English

Etymology

From abandon +‎ -ware.

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

abandonware (countable and uncountable, plural abandonwares)

1. (software, chiefly video games) A software product that is no longer updated or maintained, or whose copyright is no longer defended or which is no longer marketed even by the company who made it.
   • 1996 October 12, John Hentsch, “Re: Converting file areas (one more time)”, in alt.bbs.wildcat‎^[2] (Usenet), retrieved 2017-02-08, message-ID <ff1_9610122110@mb.fidonet.org>:

     RR> Never heard of Wildscan. Is it shareware or is there a^[sic] evaluation
     RR> version available?
     It's abandonware ala Joe Martin inc.:)

   • 2014, Aaron Schwabach, Internet and the Law: Technology, Society, and Compromises, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 1:

     Abandonware is software that is no longer being sold or supported by its author, copyright owner, or licensed distributor. Software that is still being sold, but no longer supported, is sometimes also referred to as abandonware.

Related terms

• abandon
• adware
• annoyware
• baitware
• bloatware
• blogware
• cardware
• careware
• censorware
• charityware
• courseware
• crapware
• crippleware
• crudware
• cyberware
• demoware
• donationware
• dreamware
• emailware
• fatware
• firmware
• foistware
• freeware
• fritterware
• funware
• gameware
• groupware
• guiltware
• hassleware
• helpware
• hijackware
• liveware
• malware
• meatware
• middleware
• nagware
• otherware
• parasiteware
• payware
• postcardware
• prayerware
• ransomware
• scareware
• scumware
• shareware
• shelfware
• shitware
• shovelware
• spyware
• teachware
• trialware
• vaporware
• wetware

 

Descendants

• → Polish: abandonware

Translations

software which has been abandoned by its developer

• Catalan: programari descatalogat (ca) m
• Dutch: abandonware (nl) m
• Finnish: hylätty ohjelmisto, abandonware
• French: abandogiciel (fr) m, logiciel abandonné (fr) m
• German: Abandonware f
• Icelandic: eftirlegubúnaður m
• Italian: abandonware (it), software fuori mercato
• Polish: abandonware (pl) m
• Romanian: produs abandonat n, software abandonat n

See also

• free software
• public domain
• announcementware
• vaporware

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English abandonware. First attested in 2000.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈban.dɔn.wɛr/
• Rhymes: -ɔnwɛr
• Syllabification: a‧ban‧don‧ware

Noun

abandonware m inan

1. (computing) abandonware
   • 2019, Łukasz Koźbiał, “ABANDONWARE W ŚWIETLE PRAWA AUTORSKIEGO–UWAGI OGÓLNE”, in Małgorzata Babula‎^[3], archived from the original on 20 January 2023:

      […], a które to cechy ewentualnie umożliwiałyby kwalifikację danego programu komputerowego do kategorii abandonware.

      […], which traits could potentially allow for the possibility to qualify the given program as abandonware.

Declension

Declension of abandonware

	singular
nominative	abandonware
genitive	abandonware'u
dative	abandonware'owi
accusative	abandonware
instrumental	abandonware'em
locative	abandonwarze
vocative	abandonwarze

Related terms

noun

• abandon