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Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:13:38 +0200
From: Georg Bauhaus <rm.tsoh.plus-bug.bauhaus@maps.futureapps.de>
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Subject: Re: Question about circular elaboration order error (GNAT).
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Adam Beneschan wrote:
> 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). [...]
> 
> 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.

Uhm, there is---or was---a distinction which is of some historical
interest, if not helpful in rediscovering the distinguished meaning
of either word.
Not sure whether everyone will like  Independency Day  8-)

My old 1974/82 (but not my new, 2005) Oxford Advanced Learner's
Dictionary has only this to say about "dependency":

 "country governed or controlled by another."

The newer edition additionally explains that "dependency" now
also refers to a state of unneccessary reliance on the part
of the dependents. Dependency is exemplified in "dependency culture".

The definition of "dependence" includes the word "need".
E.g. A needs the help of X in order to survive. Both "dependence"
and "dependency" are used in place of "addiction", according to OALD.
Otherwise the dictionary seems to agree with M-W online.

I found that
  "concurrence"
and
  "occurrency" ...
had a funny taste when I tried them ;)

Can the widespread use of "dependency" for "dependence" be
attributed to learning words in globalized technical contexts
and not through a study of English? -- I hadn't been
aware of this before to be sure. Thanks for the question.