Oh my word Temporal, Temporary; Temporally, Temporarily

India is a spiritual country as a result of its Vedic and ancient heritage but today’s India aka Bharat or Hindustan focuses on temporal or worldly or material aspects, too. The words temporary and temporary relate to something that doesn’t last permanently or forever but temporal refers to worldly or spiritual matters unlike temporary.

Temporal means worldly. Temporal is an adjective meaning that lasts for a limited time, that which is not lasting; permanent; lasting only for a short time. Temporal means relating to civil or political aspects of a society or country unlike religious or ecclesiastical. Temporal is the material life or material world unlike the spiritual one. The sadhus and sadhivis have least interest in temporal issues of the day but on spiritual matters, aren’t they?

Temporal variants and other compound words formed are: temporal bone (two compound bones that make the base and sides of the skull, temporal lobe (one of the four divisions of the cerebrum in the brain located behind the temples), temporalities, temporality, temporalize, temporally (different from temporarily), temporalness, temporalty.

Temporally is an adverb meaning in a temporal (worldly) manner. Temporals is a plural noun meaning anything that is temporal, secular, or that has temporality (bounded in time: not perpetual or permanent). Temporal comes from the Dutch word ‘temporalis’, from Latin’s ‘tempora’ which is the plural of tempus:

Temporal is an adjective meaning relating to the temples of the land, or the country. India is temporal land: abounds with temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and monasteries. Temporary means not permanent. Political posts and positions are temporary in democratic countries such as an MP or an MLA or the Prime Minister or President of India.

Temporary is an adjective meaning existing for a short period of time, transient, ephemeral; and temporarily is an adverb: meaning for a short period of time, not permanently stationed. Are documents stored on ‘clouds’ temporary or for an infinite period? Temporaries is a plural noun: the company hires only temporaries (short-term employees).

Are you a temp or permanent of the company? Temp is also an informal word, a short word for a temporary employee (In French it is employe temporarire). The plural form of temp is temps. Temp is also a verb – meaning working for a short time in an office or a company. Its variants are temps, temping, and temped.

While studying, he had temped as a clerk in a financial institution. For a life that is temporary we hardly focus to be humane to fellow human beings, and to focus on temporal aspects.

Kovuuri G Reddy