Derelict-class?

[Scopedog]

I noticed a couple of posters using the term "derelict-class" to describe the ship in Alien and Prometheus.  When did this become a naming convention?  I know the ship from Alien is known by fans as "the derelict" which is fine and in the movies the word derelict seemed to be used simply to describe the craft's state not it's name or official classification in the Space Jockey Navy.  Although the ship from Prometheus looks like the same type of ship as the one from Alien and may turn out to be the same abandoned ship it isn't derelict until its abandoned and derelict simply isn't a class of ship.

der·e·lict   [der-uh-likt]
adjective
1.  left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned: a derelict ship.
2.  neglectful of duty; delinquent; negligent.
noun
3.  a person abandoned by society, especially a person without a permanent home and means of support; vagrant; bum.
4.  Nautical . a vessel abandoned in open water by its crew without any hope or intention of returning.
5.  personal property abandoned or thrown away by the owner.

[Deuterium]

I noticed a couple of posters using the term "derelict-class" to describe the ship in Alien and Prometheus.  When did this become a naming convention?  I know the ship from Alien is known by fans as "the derelict" which is fine and in the movies the word derelict seemed to be used simply to describe the craft's state not it's name or official classification in the Space Jockey Navy.  Although the ship from Prometheus looks like the same type of ship as the one from Alien and may turn out to be the same abandoned ship it isn't derelict until its abandoned and derelict simply isn't a class of ship.

der·e·lict   [der-uh-likt]
adjective
1.  left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned: a derelict ship.
2.  neglectful of duty; delinquent; negligent.
noun
3.  a person abandoned by society, especially a person without a permanent home and means of support; vagrant; bum.
4.  Nautical . a vessel abandoned in open water by its crew without any hope or intention of returning.
5.  personal property abandoned or thrown away by the owner.

I think most people know what the word "derelict" means.  I would guess that people are using it simply as a term of convenience...since that is the moniker given to the original ship (by the production team, and then taken up by fandom).  I mean, the alien on the derelict is not really a "Jockey", either...but that didn't stop people from coining the term "Space Jockey".

[OpenMaw]

You could very easily call a class of ship "derelict" or "dereliction" if you wanted to, though.

A Constitution class starship in Star Trek isn't exactly a "A body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed." 

[Never say no to Panda!]

The threads get even better 

[Valaquen]

Term of convenience. We all know what the definition of a derelict is.