Why is "float" a reserved word in JavaScript?

Question

I just found myself writting a variable called float and Sublime Text made it blue, like it would with "document" or "window". Then I tried to write that in Chrome's console and see what it was... but it seems like, at least, it is not a global variable.

What is float in Javascript and why is it a reserved word? May it be for a possible future use?

EDIT: For those downvoting: I found it actually is a reserved word here: http://www.w3schools.com/js/js_reserved.asp

EDIT2: As ES6 is adding real classes to JS, and it seems JS is looking more and more like Java, could it be possible that in the future you'd have to define a variable as Float my_number = 1.1234; ?

Sandberg

Why is “float” a reserved word in JavaScript? - it's not. Probably some incorrect highlighting rules in your sublime – Apartheid

@Apartheid developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/… actually it is.. – Mascagni

Well, OK. It was. Because now ES5 is everywhere and ES2015 is ongoing. – Apartheid

@jycr753 Future reserved keywords in older standards The following are reserved as future keywords by older ECMAScript specifications (ECMAScript 1 till 3). – Depreciable

@Apartheid well it was. but I guess they still hight light it for the same reason a lot people still uses IE 8 – Mascagni

For those downvoting: this actually is a legit question, with a simple answer. No need to downvote. – Osher

Answer 1

Float is NOT reserved in the current ECMAScript (4-5) or in the upcoming version (6), but was in previous specificiations.

The official reason:

Future reserved keywords in older standards

The following are reserved as future keywords by older ECMAScript specifications (ECMAScript 1 till 3).

abstract - boolean - byte - char - double - final - float - goto - int - long - native - short - synchronized - transient - volatile

Additionally, the literals null, true, and false are reserved in ECMAScript for their normal uses.

The entire information can be read here

For those who still don't believe me the float in this jsFiddle is a lie

var float = "definitively not a float";

Osher

Is it any different in ES6, as specified on my edition? – Sandberg

Just updated my answer: no, the upcoming version doesn't reserve float either. – Osher

@Sandberg and updated once again to prove it as well. :) – Osher

Netbeans minifier will not minify a js file which uses float - treating it as a reserved word. – Dioptrics