A Version Is a Turning
A version is one form of something. The Latin means a turning, and software borrowed the word for numbered releases.
A version is one form or account of something. The Latin *vertere*, to turn, is the root: a version is a thing turned into another form, which is why translations were once called versions. Software numbering built a whole discipline on the word — version control keeps every turning of a file recoverable.
- One form of something. *The paperback version.*
- An account. *His version of events.*
- A numbered release. *Version 3.2.*
- A translation. *The King James Version.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | version | An early version. |
| Plural | versions | Two versions. |
| Related | revision | A major revision. |
| Related | convert | Convert the file. |
| Related | reverse | Reverse the order. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Which version are you running?Software.
- Her version differs from his.Accounts of an event.
- The film version cut two subplots.Adaptation.
Version control terms
- Commit — a saved set of changes
- Branch — a parallel line of development
- Merge — combining branches
- Rollback — returning to an earlier version
- Semantic versioning — the major.minor.patch numbering convention
From Latin *versionem*, a turning, from *vertere*, to turn — the same verb as in *convert*, *reverse*, *divert* and *universe*.
What do version numbers mean?
Under semantic versioning, the first number marks incompatible changes, the second new features that stay compatible, the third fixes.
Version or edition?
Edition belongs to publishing and names a form of a published work. Version is broader and covers software, accounts and adaptations.