What is the analog equivalent of 'digitally'?

Question

In electronics, we can solve a problem digitally or analoguely ?

That doesn't sound right, but surely there must be a word I can use?

Update: some definitions:

digitally: Relating to or being a service that provides information expressed in discrete numerical form.

analoguely: Relating to or being a service that provides information expressed in continuous, non-discrete form. (This is my made up definition of a word I made up).

analogously: Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy.

As you can see, the word analogously doesn't mean the opposite of digitally, it means something else.

I don't think that analogously is the antonym of digitally. The antonym of digital is the adjective analogue, not analogous. — Andrew Leach, Apr 10 '14 at 13:49
@ermanen - I have never seen it used in this context, nor have I been able to find it defined like this in any dictionary. Do you have a reference? — Rocketmagnet, Apr 10 '14 at 13:54
@oerkelens English teachers might not accept it as the correct answer. — Edwin Ashworth, Apr 10 '14 at 13:54
'Insegreviously' is a better candidate than 'analoguely' at this point in time. At least some people have heard of it. — Edwin Ashworth, Apr 10 '14 at 13:57
You can search analogously and digitally together. And you can search in Google Books. It is even used in electronics books. — ermanen, Apr 10 '14 at 14:03
...Yes, you're right. 'Analogously' is also used with the more common meaning in the near vicinity of 'digitally', which is just asking for trouble. I haven't seen a dictionary stating that the usage has reached acceptable status. — Edwin Ashworth, Apr 10 '14 at 14:09
@Edwin, ermanen: I found a few dozen examples in Google Books, but I wouldn't accept the usage myself. So far as I'm concerned, *analogously* is either in accordance with or by means of analogy, or correspondingly, equivalently; comparably, similarly, as per OED's only two definitions. I could only endorse by analogue means** or something similar as the opposite of digitally. — FumbleFingers, Apr 10 '14 at 14:16
@bib - Because, unless I was talking to an engineer, the reader may not understand the connection between analogue and continuous. Even an engineer would probably first read the word continuous as meaning something about not interrupting something. — Rocketmagnet, Apr 10 '14 at 14:18
"Analogously" might be in the process of semantic extension to cover this sense. So we may accept as a neologism because it is not in common use. — ermanen, Apr 10 '14 at 14:38
@ermanen: And why shouldn't we accept "analogly" as a less-confusing neologism? — Peter Shor, Apr 10 '14 at 15:49
@FumbleFingers If you are talking about 'by analogy', my Oxford Dictionary says the word is 'analogically'. — WS2, Apr 10 '14 at 15:49
@Peter Shor: Analogly is also used in this sense but seems like a less commonly used neologism. Though this may need a deeper research. — ermanen, Apr 10 '14 at 15:59
Actually, @WS2's suggestion of analogically seems to be the most commonly used word for this purpose (that is, it received the most hits in the phrase "digitally or analog(ically/ously/ly)". — Peter Shor, Apr 10 '14 at 16:02
@PeterShor That was my first thought until I discovered 'analogically' to mean 'by analogy'. — WS2, Apr 10 '14 at 16:19
Well even "analog" is used as an adverb :) There is even confusion between neologisms but I still think "analogously" is better because of its formation. I will leave it to you. — ermanen, Apr 10 '14 at 16:19
@WS2: Well ... "analog computers" are called that because operate "by analogy", so there's nothing etymologically wrong with using "analogically". — Peter Shor, Jul 25 '14 at 01:34
@PeterShor Yes. Point well made. Spelled 'analogue' in Britain. Your computing example corresponds with meaning B1 of the OED, which is summarised as follows: . 'adj. Typically contrasted with digital.

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a. Of a computer or calculator: that operates by the manipulation of continuously variable physical quantities (as voltage, spatial position, or time) which are analogues of the quantities being computed. Cf. digital adj. 2b. Now chiefly hist.' So analogically it is! Why don't you post that as an answer? — WS2, Jul 27 '14 at 06:20
@Rocketmagnet I happen to be looking for a solution to this myself for an article that I am writing. I totally agree, such a word should exist, if it doesn't already. IMHO, since digital implies something that is discrete, while analog(ue) implies something continuous, I would say, to do something via digital means it is done discretely (not discreetly), to do something via analog(ue) means it is done continuously. This goes back to digital signals being discrete waveforms/functions, and analog(ue) singals being continuous waveforms/functions. — iwantmyphd, Aug 22 '15 at 23:54

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 10 '14 at 14:19

5

Analoguely would probably be technically correct, except it's such an awkward form it's never come into usage.

One solution would be to rephrase the sentence to avoid it.

"In electronics, we can have a digital or an analogue solution for a problem."

answered Apr 10 '14 at 14:19

AllisonAshley

51

How can a word be technically correct? From a consideration of morphology? So is leisurelyly a 'technically correct' adverbial form? – Edwin Ashworth Apr 10 '14 at 16:30
@Edwin: It would be leisurelily, which I'm not sure is a word (since leisurely is already an adverb as well as an adjective, there's no need to further adverbify it). We do have sillily, uglily, holily etc. And people use quantumly, even if it isn't in the dictionaries. – Peter Shor Apr 10 '14 at 17:20
... Why? Why should slyly be unique? I'm of course arguing that as there are no universal rules, the descriptor 'technically correct' is wrong. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 10 '14 at 22:00
@Edwin: it's not unique. There are also dryly, shyly, and wryly. – Peter Shor Apr 11 '14 at 00:56
I thought I'd let you do the digging. Near-unique. Just the five ;-) – Edwin Ashworth Apr 11 '14 at 08:17

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 17 '17 at 01:40

I know this is old, but nobody has come to any conclusion so I will post this.

I am Brazilian and speak Portuguese, and "analog" in Portuguese is "analógico". Now, why does it matter? it matters because we have many words that end like that, like the adjective "lógico", and most of their translations into english end in the same way as it's translation, "logical". Analog (or analogue) is an exception to that, as if it followed the pattern coming from Latin it would actually be spelled "analogical". From that we can see that the right spelling of "analoguely" would be "analogically", since it makes sense when compared to the respective form of similar words stemming from Latin, and would also look like the similar words in Portuguese when translated into english.

Please let me know if I'm wrong, and why.

This is a very interesting reply. Looking up the etymology of the words, I can see that analog comes from Ancient Greek: análogos, “proportionate”, while logic comes from Ancient Greek too: logikós, “of or pertaining to speech or reason or reasoning, rational, reasonable”. Well, "rational" and "proportionate" are similar in meaning, so it makes sense that these words could be connected. — Rocketmagnet, Mar 13 '17 at 10:06

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 10 '14 at 16:33

2

In electronics, there are analogue solutions and there are digital solutions.

answered Apr 10 '14 at 16:33

KCH

538

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 17 '17 at 01:48

In the electronics biz, it is common to refer to electronic components that are not intended for use in computers and other digital devices as linear. In this sense the term has something of the same implication as "analog" does in "analog computer".

(Yes, someone might object that transistors are not "linear" in the strictest mathematical sense, but most uses of such components attempt to maintain a reasonably "linear" mode of operation, in that same mathematical sense.)

What is the analog equivalent of 'digitally'?

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