línia

Línia is the Catalan word for line and is used in a range of senses that share the idea of a mark, path, or boundary. In Catalan, as in related Romance languages, the term covers mathematical, geographical, textual, and practical uses, including routes and sequences.

Etymology and cognates: Línia derives from Latin linea, a root that gave rise to line in several Romance languages, such as línea in Spanish, linha in Portuguese, and linea in Italian. The common sense across languages is a thread, mark, or path that can be extended or traced.

Uses and senses:

- Geometry and mathematics: a line can be a straight or curved set of points, with lines and line segments forming foundational concepts in geometry.

- Geography and transport: a line may denote a route, such as a railway line, bus line, or shipping line, as well as lines on maps, including lines of latitude and longitude.

- Writing and printing: a line of text refers to a horizontal segment of writing, and line breaks organize text into units.

- Industry and production: a production line describes a sequence of operations arranged to manufacture goods.

- Policy and strategy: in political or organizational contexts, a line can indicate a particular direction or policy stance, often described as a strategic or ideological line.

In use, línia and its cognates function as versatile terms that connect the ideas of division, path, and order across daily language, science, and infrastructure. See also line and its disambiguation in Romance-language variants.