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Imbalance or unbalance
6

Imbalance or unbalance

Imbalance or unbalance

(OP)
There is a discusion in another thread on the meaning of "imbalance" or unbalance".

I have never come across "imbalance" before, but apparently some injunyeer (or committee thereof) wrote it like that in an IEEE standard, so now the Americans, at least, accept it as a real word.  The word "inbalance" also seems to be acceptable because it is written in an engineering standard.

Why are three words required when the original word "unbalance" seems to fit the purpose quite well enough, and is even given as an alternative?

Bung
Life is non-linear...

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

2
In my opinion:

"imbalance" is a noun, being the state of being out of balance;

"unbalance" is a verb, being the act of putting something out of balance.

You can unbalance something, leaving it in a state of imbalance, but you can't imbalance it, nor can you put it into a state of unbalance.

(But I could be wrong!)

My $0.02 worth.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Well, the dictionaries partially agree:

Quote:

SYLLABICATION: im·bal·ance
PRONUNCIATION:   m-blns
NOUN: A lack of balance, as in distribution or functioning.  
OTHER FORMS: im·balanced —ADJECTIVE

Quote:

SYLLABICATION: un·bal·ance
PRONUNCIATION:   n-blns
TRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: un·bal·anced, un·bal·anc·ing, un·bal·anc·es
1. To upset the balance, stability, or equilibrium of: “By being too good a singer, too hell-bent an actress, and too strong a presence, the star unbalances the proceedings” (John Simon). 2. To derange (the mind).  
NOUN: The condition of being unbalanced.  
OTHER FORMS: un·balance·a·ble —ADJECTIVE

both from bartleby.com:
http://www.bartleby.com/61/34/I0043400.html
http://www.bartleby.com/61/65/U0026500.html

TTFN

TTFN

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Personally, I have never seen or heard unbalance  used as a noun - only imbalance. But maybe I should get out more.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Bung has a point about the word "inbalance" as it only seems to exist for dance bands, pilates studios and US dental health, according to google i.e. a made up word which is just about excusable in the advertising world but less so in the IEEE standard.

JMW
www.viscoanalyser.com
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RE: Imbalance or unbalance

yeah, imbalance is the one that I've always considered correct.  Something with an imbalance is unbalanced.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Which standard?

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

I think part of this problem stems from the plethora of prefixes used in English that mean "opposite".  I count 15 (please add any I missed):

a
ab
an
anti
contra
counter
dis
il
im
in
ir
mal
mis
non
un

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

I agree with JulianHardy.
jimbo

Buy a dictionary, keep it nearby and USE it. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English is recommended, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

As a machinery engineer who does balance work on turbines and other equipment, I think I will start a new trend and use the terms malbalance, or perhaps contrabalance. They seem to have much more character than the rather worn out terms imbalance or unbalance. These new terms seem to do a better job of conveying the evil of a poorly balanced machine.

I have been looking for a way to spice up my reports. Thanks CoryPad!

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

jimbo,
Right or wrong I also agree with Julian.

Cory,
Add Dis to the list.

sms,
Malbalance I can barely stomach.  Contrabalance?  Please -- don't go there it hurts my ears.  A little too spicey?

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Contrabalance sounds like a trade name for some novel balancing device .... I wouldn't be surprised if it exists as a trademark.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

My guess would've been that Contrabalance was a musical term, something like evenly spreading out the basses.

Anyway, one thing for sure, at least in my opinion, is that everyong here is clearly unbalanced.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

(OP)
I did what I never do and consulted the manual - in this case the Macquarie dictionary (not Oxford, I'm a Colonial boy, and not Webster either).  It had "imbalance' as a noun, and 'unbalanced' as a past participle only.  No entry for 'unbalance'.  But I've ignored manuals in the past, so I suppose this time won't be any different.

Bung
Life is non-linear...

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Counterbalance I know of.
"Im" as a negative prefix -instead of in- is used only with words starting with b or p, as in Spanish. Right ?

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

... or m

eg immature, immovable

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

metman, you make my point precisely. I want my customers to cringe just at the thought of a balance problem! If malbalance or contrabalance make your ears hurt and your stomach churn that is exactly what I am trying to accomplish!

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

sms,
OK you win!

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Besides, sms is just trying to see if anyone is really reading his reports.

rmw

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

As a parallel but no equal aside what is correct immigrant or inmigrant ?

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Ah, immigrant and emigrant are like import and export of course.

A negative immigrant is an asylum seeker in this country (formerly referred to as a refugee)

Jeff

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Julian Hardy

Noted. But not in Spanish.

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

"imbalance = if there is an imbalance in a situation, the things involved are not the same size, or are not the right size in proportion to each other. ie, trade imbalance.
unbalance = if something unbalances a relationship, system, or group, it disturbs or upsets it so that it no longer succesful or functioning properly. ie. the opposite alliance will further unbalance ....... " Collins Cobuild English Dictionary.

International College
Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

Imbalance does make sense as to trade
or money distribution.  Unbalance would
be a value judgement about the same.
I give Artisi a star!

RE: Imbalance or unbalance

I think "Contrabalance" would be an oxymoron, if one considers Iran.

I'd also think that something unbalanced is just that; there is no balance.  Imbalanced carries the idea of imperfectly balanced.    ...or do I mean unperfectly balanced?    (malperfectly?)

remember: An opinion is only as good as the one who gives it!

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