[krispyfi]

> From Middle English reule, rewle, rule, borrowed from Old French riule, reule, from Latin regula (“straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of rail, regal, regula and rigol.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/rule#English

[pacifika]

Thanks that's helpful to know they picked a valid term, but if I'd hold a no-context poll (unless I mention ruler) a significant number of people wouldn't know this.

[hnlmorg]

How many of those people would know what CSS is though? Or understand the distinction between "internet" and "web"? Heck, a lot of people don't even understand the distinction between "wifi" and "internet" let alone anything actually technical.

I do get your point and can honestly relate to it. But I wouldn't argue that a no-context poll is the right way to define specialist jargon.

[blooalien]

> ... a significant number of people wouldn't know this.

While true, an even more significant number of folks into typography and design absolutely would (and arguably even should) know this.

[setr]

Choosing terminology without context is probably a terrible idea in general; you’re basically forcing everything to fit that “describe complex topics like I’m a toddler” framework, which is terribly inefficient for any non-novice practitioner in the subject.

The more important aspect is that, within the context, it’s internally consistent. If I bother to learn my terms, I’ll be able to utilize it functionally. And of course, that the term can actually be explained

[None4U]

There's already an element <hr> "horizontal rule" in HTML

[Joker_vD]

Couldn't they have at least used the word "ruler" then?

[Sharlin]

No, because a ruler is completely different from a rule.