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I know the two terms get thrown around a lot, and within software development it doesn't seem to matter who is an 'engineer' or not, but in most other disciplines the word 'engineer' has a special connotation, like how 'doctor' means something specific in the medical world.

For me the traits of an 'engineer' that stand out from other workers in their field:

• Engineers are highly educated. What this means may vary from discipline to discipline, but you usually don't find 'self-taught engineers' for the same reasons you wouldn't hope your surgeon was a 'self-taught doctor' ;)
• Engineers consider ethics. It's not just about whether they can build something, but a true engineer measures the impact their building will have on the surroundings and refuse work on ethical grounds if what they are building will be unsafe or spoil the public space. Engineers answer to society for the work they put into it and are held accountable if their work results in injury.
• Engineers in many countries are a regulated, standardized thing. Where I live there is a professional association and you can't just go around telling people you're an 'engineer' without being a member of that professional organization. Although we don't have an association or guild or organization of software engineers, I think the term 'engineer' carries the idea that you are proven and tested to a certain minimum standard.

So how does this apply to software development? I think the term engineer communicates these ideas:

• a software engineer has formal training
• a software engineer considers ethics
• a software engineer is held accountable for the impact of their work
• a software engineer meets a minimum standard skill set

Hopefully that gives a little insight into how people hear the term 'engineer' and what they expect it to mean in all other industries. I think it's only our industry (with so many self-taught leaders) where the term gets muddied and devalued.