5

I'm trying to pick a good name for a concept. We have previously completed actions (e.g., file uploads or admissions approved) and those constitute a list that historically speaking is "what's been up", so to speak.

At the moment, we're using a Swedish term for it and translating that, gives me history. However, in the original language, there are two different terms: historia and historik with slightly different connotation as to how extensive the details presented are.

The former will provide more complete descriptions and connotations, whereas the latter settles merely for a list of events. It's the second one that I'm going for.

Is the term history the only I have to go on or is there a better, formal one?

1
  • 2
    History is widely used in English for this purpose. People talk about "browser history" or "account history" all the time.
    – barbecue
    Mar 15, 2017 at 15:12

3 Answers 3

11

If I understand correctly, I propose timeline.

timeline
1. a linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred.

Timelines are often depicted as a line with significant events on it, but they can be bulleted lists too. Here is an example from Wikipedia, Timeline of European exploration

enter image description here

6
  • I upvoted your answer cus it had also included an example :D. And a very nice one, at that :). Mar 15, 2017 at 9:18
  • 1
    Thanks. I upvoted your answer because we're on the same page... in so many ways!
    – Em.
    Mar 15, 2017 at 9:24
  • 1
    I've upvoted both your replies because I liked the comments. Also, do you or @TeacherKSHuang can imagine a more general term if the ordering isn't chronologically related? In my current situation, it's perfect with timeline but I'd like to be prepared for other listings. Mar 15, 2017 at 10:07
  • 1
    @KonradViltersten It probably exists, but I can only think of vague things at the moment, such as "outline", "list of events", "ordered list", etc. Possibly also bill of events or record of events, but I'm not entirely sure.
    – Em.
    Mar 15, 2017 at 10:33
  • 2
    @KonradViltersten Not a single word, but "event log" springs to mind for that.
    – Muzer
    Mar 15, 2017 at 10:35
8

I think what you're looking for is:

a timeline.

Looking at definition one, this is:

A linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred,

Dictionary.com

which is essentially:

a list of events.

What do you think? Is this what you had been looking for?

5

History is certainly an acceptable word. An alternative is log:

Computers. any of various chronological records made concerning the use of a computer system, the changes made to data, etc.

dictionary.com

It's used in some software for a list of what's happened to a file, e.g. Tortoise SVN, see here.

1
  • I like this answer even better than my own because it's about activities accomplished, which sounds more like what the OP had been looking for ("previously completed actions"). Mar 16, 2017 at 9:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .