Re: Question about circular elaboration order error (GNAT).

[Adam Beneschan <adam@irvine.com>]

On Apr 14, 1:21 pm, Robert A Duff <bobd...@shell01.TheWorld.com>
wrote:

> > Btw, I never noticed the use of "dependence" vs. "dependency"
> > before. Is there a difference in English?
>
> I don't know.  Most people say "dependency".  But the Ada 83 RM used
> "dependence", and we didn't change it for Ada 95 (or 2005),
> and I've gotten used to typing that.

I checked Merriam-Webster Online (www.m-w.com).  The first meaning of
"dependency" is simply a reference to the first meaning of
"dependence".  (The other two meanings of "dependency" aren't close to
being relevant.)  The first meaning of "dependence" is "the quality or
state of being dependent; especially: the quality or state of being
influenced or determined by or subject to another".  I think this is
meaning of "dependence" that applies here (I'm pretty sure the "drug
addiction" meaning does not).

So I'd say that for our purpose, the two words are interchangeable, at
least in American English usage, which is what Merriam-Webster is a
dictionary of.

                                  -- Adam