queue up VS line up

[SoothingDave]

I imagine "queue" was chosen for computer-related "waiting areas/lists" because it was not the commonly-used word "line."

 

[tedmc]

The Americans probably realised that "line up" was potentially confusing, hence giving in to the BrE version for once.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I wonder whether 'queue' is understandable in the USA as it is rarely used there, but I am not a teacher.

 

[Tdol]

Yes, that's odd, given that most terminology comes out of America. You also have queues as abstract data types.

Could it be like old dialect words resurfacing in some variants to deal with new conditions- line is ripe for ambiguity, so they fell back on a term out of use?

 

[Eckaslike]

I think that the BrE word queue may be used in computing because the first large-scale electronic digital computers, such as Colossus built in 1943, were designed and constructed at Bletchley Park near London in order to break codes during the war.

The programs were entered into these early computers via a punched paper tape, but only one program could run at a time. However, to save time a second tape would be queued ready for input.

"Colossus. In the foreground is the automatic typewriter for output. The large frames to the right held two message tapes. As one job was being run, the tape for the next job would be loaded onto the pulleys, so saving time. Using a switch on the selection panel, the operator chose to run either the ‘near’ or the ‘far’ tape."
http://www.colossus-computer.com/colossus1.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer

It seems logical that if the machines were built in Britain they would have naturally talked about "program queues" and "job queues". Once words are used within a discipline they tend to carry on using them until a theory is disproven, and so I think that "queue" was then simply applied later, in the same way, to cover "print queues".

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, Maria17anns, but this thread is seven years old and your post was not completely relevant.

Additionally, please read this extract from the forum's posting guidelines:

You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly in your posts.