Unfortunately, the English term can carry either of these meanings,
depending largely on context. It is applied to people who drive
trains (because they operate an "engine", to people who provide
technical support, and also to people who design complex electrical or
mechanical systems or structures. You have to know from context which
is which.
It's my (non-authoritative) understanding that the term engineer
originally meant someone who built engines (think seize engines, etc).
When locomotive were first invented they were not very reliable so the
guy who drove them was a kind of 'field support engineer' and the name
engineer stuck.
...George
========================================================================
George Swallow Cisco Systems (978) 936-1398
1414 Massachusetts Avenue
Boxborough, MA 01719
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