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Lineal or Linear

jar546

jar546

CBO
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
12,723
Location
Not where I really want to be
I continue to get the lines blurred (no pun intended) between the words lineal and linear. Although you can get away with interchanging them and be technically wrong, I am pretty sure you can get away with it in most scenarios. Here are some sentence examples. Do you agree?

Linear: "The structural engineer calculated the linear expansion of the steel beam due to temperature changes to ensure the integrity of the building's framework."
Lineal: "The contractor ordered 300 lineal feet of hardwood flooring to cover the entire surface area of the new office space."
 
I have found them to be interchangeable, have seen them used both ways, and I have probably used both of them in one sentence!

Maybe there is a grammar geek out there that can clue us in?
 
Merriam-Webster on-line:

www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of LINEAR

of, relating to, resembling, or having a graph that is a line and especially a straight line : straight; involving a single dimension; of the first degree with respect to one or more variables… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com www.merriam-webster.com

www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of LINEAL

linear; composed of or arranged in lines; consisting of or being in a direct male or female line of ancestry… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com www.merriam-webster.com
 
IMHO, linear more often relates to a single line whereas lineal is more a series of lines.
 
A malapropism is a word used incorrectly by someone who tries to inflate their intellectual reputation.
Our education system is at fault, we do not teach proper English, let alone homonyms.
 
mark handler said:
A malapropism is a word used incorrectly by someone who tries to inflate their intellectual reputation.
Our education system is at fault, we do not teach proper English, let alone homonyms.
Click to expand...
NYS just announced a move to study returning to teaching phonics in K12. About f'ing time.

Easy choice - linear for all things design, construction, and code related. Won't be wrong.

Well, if legacy codes and IBC, lineal may have a place.
 
mark handler said:
A malapropism is a word used incorrectly by someone who tries to inflate their intellectual reputation.
Our education system is at fault, we do not teach proper English, let alone homonyms.
Click to expand...
One might proffer that a malapropism, that ostentatious linguistic foible, is akin to a cerebral calisthenics endeavor, wherein the verbiage employed by an individual, with intentions of adorning their intellectual plumage, inadvertently transforms into a cacophonous cacophony of semantic disarray. It is indeed a lamentable consequence of our educational apparatus, which, regrettably, appears to have forsaken the cultivation of impeccable linguistic acumen, not to mention the nuanced discernment between homonyms. Alas, one is left to wonder if our linguistic imbroglios are, in fact, the unwitting offspring of a well-intentioned but misguided pedagogical landscape. Verily, the comedy of lexical errors persists as a testament to the adage that even the most erudite may occasionally find themselves ensnared within the labyrinthine corridors of linguistic incongruity.
 
jar546 said:
One might proffer that a malapropism, that ostentatious linguistic foible, is akin to a cerebral calisthenics endeavor, wherein the verbiage employed by an individual, with intentions of adorning their intellectual plumage, inadvertently transforms into a cacophonous cacophony of semantic disarray. It is indeed a lamentable consequence of our educational apparatus, which, regrettably, appears to have forsaken the cultivation of impeccable linguistic acumen, not to mention the nuanced discernment between homonyms. Alas, one is left to wonder if our linguistic imbroglios are, in fact, the unwitting offspring of a well-intentioned but misguided pedagogical landscape. Verily, the comedy of lexical errors persists as a testament to the adage that even the most erudite may occasionally find themselves ensnared within the labyrinthine corridors of linguistic incongruity.
Click to expand...
Even the code writers don't always know the different meanings of the words they use....
 
jar546 said:
One might proffer that a malapropism, that ostentatious linguistic foible, is akin to a cerebral calisthenics endeavor, wherein the verbiage employed by an individual, with intentions of adorning their intellectual plumage, inadvertently transforms into a cacophonous cacophony of semantic disarray. It is indeed a lamentable consequence of our educational apparatus, which, regrettably, appears to have forsaken the cultivation of impeccable linguistic acumen, not to mention the nuanced discernment between homonyms. Alas, one is left to wonder if our linguistic imbroglios are, in fact, the unwitting offspring of a well-intentioned but misguided pedagogical landscape. Verily, the comedy of lexical errors persists as a testament to the adage that even the most erudite may occasionally find themselves ensnared within the labyrinthine corridors of linguistic incongruity.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of William F Buckley. Jr?
 
jar546 said:
One might proffer that a malapropism, that ostentatious linguistic foible, is akin to a cerebral calisthenics endeavor, wherein the verbiage employed by an individual, with intentions of adorning their intellectual plumage, inadvertently transforms into a cacophonous cacophony of semantic disarray. It is indeed a lamentable consequence of our educational apparatus, which, regrettably, appears to have forsaken the cultivation of impeccable linguistic acumen, not to mention the nuanced discernment between homonyms. Alas, one is left to wonder if our linguistic imbroglios are, in fact, the unwitting offspring of a well-intentioned but misguided pedagogical landscape. Verily, the comedy of lexical errors persists as a testament to the adage that even the most erudite may occasionally find themselves ensnared within the labyrinthine corridors of linguistic incongruity.
Click to expand...

The editor in me reminds you that one should never use a word as an adjective to describe itself. I grant that you were striving for a touch of alliteration. May I suggest "cacophonous clangor" or "cacophonous clatter" instead?
 
"Discombobulated" has to be a fake, made-up word. Have you ever met or heard of someone who was combobulated?

For that matter, have you ever met or heard of anyone who was gruntled?
 
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