Subject:
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Re: Question about English: use of non and not.
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 5 Jun 2001 13:39:45 GMT
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Viewed:
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801 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Simon Bennett writes:
> > We have made some data base tables and when we created one about the
> > products not scheduled we called it NOT_SCHEDULED_PRODUCT. After we realize
> > that NON_SCHEDULED_PRODUCT sounds better, but we don't know why.
> > Is there any rule that defines when I use NOT and when I use NON?
> In all cases like this I turn to the Oxford Dictionary and Usage Guide to
> the English language and it says:
I good course of action. If I were at home, I would check to see if Fowlers
has any comments too.
> Therefore 'Non' is not a word in itself and must be prefixed with a hyphen
> so if you prefer 'non' you should name the table NON-SCHEDULED_PRODUCT.
>
> They both mean the same thing which is that the product has been considered
> and it has been decided not to schedule it. If you mean that the decision
> whether to schedule it or not is yet to be taken you should use
> UNSCHEDULED_PRODUCT.
I agree with this analysis, but even if you didn't want to use the hyphen, I
would suggest NON_SCHEDULED_PRODUCT if there is any chance that someone
might confuse the NOT_ with the logical operator. OTOH, if you exactly mean
what the logical operator means, I'd probably stick with NOT_ to avoid the
potential confusion of including the extra term NON_ in your company's
vernacular.
Chris
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Question about English: use of non and not.
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| (...) In all cases like this I turn to the Oxford Dictionary and Usage Guide to the English language and it says: Non- (prefix) not. Therefore 'Non' is not a word in itself and must be prefixed with a hyphen so if you prefer 'non' you should name (...) (25 years ago, 5-Jun-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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