I was thinking about microphones today, and I think they have the wrong name. Let's break down the word, using definitions from the Merriam-Webster (online) dictionary:
"Phone" - : sound
—often in names of musical instruments and sound-transmitting devices
"Micro" - very small
So "microphone" translates to "very small sound".
According to this site: http://inventors.about.com/od/wstart...Wheatstone.htm, Sir Charles Wheaton invented the term "microphone" in 1827.
My thinking is that the object we currently call a microphone should actually be called a macrophone. This isn't to fault Sir Charles because the term "macro-" apparently didn't come into being until 1923.
Let's define "macro", again according to Merriam-Webster:
"Macro" - of, involving, or intended for use with relatively large quantities or on a large scale
So...
"Macrophone" = large quantity of sound.
"Microphone" = very small sound
It's pretty obvious to me that we need to start making this transition.