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#180125 11/06/08 05:02 PM
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In my experience as a science editor, scholarly and scientific publishers I've worked with restrict the use of "circa" to years or dates: circa 1940, circa 3500 BCE, circa 250 MYA. In other contexts "approximately" or "about" or the approximate symbol (tilde) "~" is preferred: approximately 170 hectares, about two weeks ago, ~50 ft.

Last edited by M. McQuoid; 11/06/08 05:04 PM.
M. McQuoid #180129 11/07/08 02:25 AM
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As far as I recall, I too have only seen it used with dates.

Jackie #180143 11/08/08 05:46 AM
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Me too, or neither as the case may be.

Zed #180146 11/08/08 01:49 PM
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Certainly any editor is free to make any sort of style decisions regarding the scope of any term such as circa. The B&M OED notes that, as a prepostion, it is often used with dates. It also notes that it is used as a combining form, citing an example in circa-continental. However it simply means 'around, round about, about' and, as such I am sure it has been used more generally. I see no reason, in any linguistic sense, why it shouldn't. The first ten hits for circa acres include five for uses where the acreage being talked about is approximate.

Faldage #180159 11/09/08 03:25 AM
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Oh, I thought it was circum-continental, tho' I have never seen it in writing to check.

Zed #180164 11/09/08 12:53 PM
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Circum-continental is the singular.

Faldage #180189 11/10/08 02:25 PM
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what a noisy hyphen.


formerly known as etaoin...
Buffalo Shrdlu #180192 11/10/08 02:54 PM
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what a noisy hyphen

"Do you hear the hyphens, Clarisse?" And what about the em dashes?


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
zmjezhd #180198 11/10/08 04:40 PM
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just a smidge, or perhaps a pinch.


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Buffalo Shrdlu #180207 11/10/08 06:37 PM
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FWIW, the Latin preposition circa (which governs the accusative case) is not limited to being used with time. It can mean 'around, among, surrounding; escorting (of persons); near, neighboring; nearly, almost' etc.


Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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