Is this a typo?

Question

Dear all,If someone didn't write a word in a sentence which requires it due to careless typing, could this be called a typo, or simply an omission?E.g. 'I have dog', where 'a' is supposed to occur.I'll appreciate your help.Ray

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]If someone didn't write a word in a sentence which requires it due to careless typing, could this be called a typo...[/nq]
Yes.
[nq:1]or simply an omission?[/nq]
That too.

Mark Brader, Toronto "... people are always doing stuff ... (Email Removed) that I wish were typos" Marcy Thompson

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]If someone didn't write a word in a sentence which requires it due to careless typing, could this be called a typo, or simply an omission? E.g. 'I have dog', where 'a' is supposed to occur. I'll appreciate your help.[/nq]
Careless typing results in things like letters switched round, for example "teh" when "the" is meant, or a letter used by mistake which is next to the one which is meant to be used on the keyboard, such as "s" instead of "d" or "b" instead on "n". This sort of thing can legitimately be called a "typo".
Careless typing is very unlikely to result in a word missed out. If the word is missed out because the typist is a speaker of a language where that word doesn't have a direct counterpart - such as a Chinese speaker missing out some grammatical part like an article because Chinese doesn't have such things - then it isn't a "typo", it's a grammatical error. It is, of course, possible when typing at speed in a langauge which is not one's own to make grammatical errors which on more careful consideration one would recognise as errors. This does not, however, make such errors "typoes".
Matthew Huntbach

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]If someone didn't write a word in a sentence which ... where 'a' is supposed to occur. I'll appreciate your help.[/nq]
[nq:1]Careless typing results in things like letters switched round, for example "teh" when "the" is meant, or a letter used ... grammatical errors which on more careful consideration one would recognise as errors. This does not, however, make such errors "typoes".[/nq]
Speak yourself, mate. When typing in my own language I essential words out all the time, usually because of too-hasty on-the-fly editing.

Ross Howard

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Careless typing results in things like letters switched round, for ... as errors. This does not, however, make such errors "typoes".[/nq]
[nq:1]Speak yourself, mate. When typing in my own language I essential words out all the time, usually because of too-hasty on-the-fly editing.[/nq]
Yes, but I wouldn't call this a "typo". To me a "typo" can only mean an error caused by the fingers hitting the wrong keys. I find when typing in usenet I sometimes make homophonic errors, like "their" for "there", which I never make in more careful writing. However, I would not describe such errors as "typoes".
Matthew Huntbach

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Yes, but I wouldn't call this a "typo". To me a "typo" can only mean an error caused by the ... "their" for "there", which I never make in more careful writing. However, I would not describe such errors as "typoes".[/nq]
I invariably type 'their' as 'thier', but I know how to spell the word: typo.

Charles Riggs

Usenet · Answer

Matthew Huntbach and Ross Howard write:
[nq:2]Speak yourself, mate. When typing in my own language I essential words out all the time, usually because of too-hasty on-the-fly editing.[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, but I wouldn't call this a "typo". To me a "typo" can only mean an error caused by the fingers hitting the wrong keys.[/nq]
Etymologically, a "typo" is not a "typing error" but a "typographical error": an error introduced during the process of putting the words into type. Etymology does not determine meaning, but I think it's appropriate for the word to include all cases where the characters typed do not conform to those that the typist intended to type.

I am reminded of the treatment of intent in certain circumstances when playing duplicate bridge strictly by the rules. Say I'm declaring, a spade is led, and it's now dummy's turn to play to the trick. Dummy has the A-8-4-2 of spades. I choose one of them by pulling the card or by calling for it. If I just say "spade", this is the same as calling for the smallest one, i.e. the 2. Now, what happens if I say something like "spade oops I mean ace of spades"? Well, it depends on my intent. If I intended to play the 2 when I started speaking, but realized at the last second that the ace would be better, that's too bad the
2 stands as played. But if I always intended to play the ace, andjust made the speech equivalent of a typo, then the correction is allowed (provided that it's made "without pause for thought") and the ace is played.

Mark Brader "We can get ideas even from a clever man." ... Toronto "Yes, I think you can. Even ideas you should (Email Removed) have had yourselves." John Dickson Carr

My text in this article is in the public domain.

Usenet · Answer

...
[nq:1]Careless typing is very unlikely to result in a word missed out. If the word is missed out because the ... grammatical errors which on more careful consideration one would recognise as errors. This does not, however, make such errors "typoes".[/nq]
"Typos", surely... or was that a deliberate "misteake"?

Is this a typo?

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