Why the naming: NodeList vs childNodes <p>I have been wondering about a stupid thing about the DOM. Why do the standards define NodeList with the postfix <code>List</code> to make it clear it is an array while have a some properties or functions like <code>childNodes</code> or <code>getElementsByTagName</code> which use the postfix letter <code>s</code>?</p> <p>I find it contradictory when the standards define members with different suffixes for the same purpose (to describe an array).</p> <p>Edit: It actually seems that NodeList is not even an array. Does this explain this?</p>