DC:D3:21:75:61:90   ;   10.25.131.17
    ;

Host 27-48 { hardware ethernet DC:D3:21:75:61:90 ; fixed-address 10.25.131.17 ; }

#host 27-48 { hardware ethernet ; fixed-address ; }

Host 27-48 { hardware ethernet 00:16:6B:C8:3D:C9 ; fixed-address 10.25.129.185

outputLine="Host $((names[i]))-$((startingNumber+counter)) { hardware ethernet $first ; fixed-address $second"

outputLine="Host $((names[i]))-$((startingNumber+counter)) { hardware ethernet $first ; fixed-address $second ; }"

; } 27-48 { hardware ethernet 00:16:6B:C8:3D:C9 ; fixed-address 10.25.129.185

for ((j=1; j<=${sizes[i]}; j++ )); do

    #split line, read split as two entries for an arrIN
    IN=(${line[counter+1]})
    arrIN=(${IN//;/ })
    first="${arrIN[0]}"
    second=${arrIN[1]}


    if [ ${lineSize[counter+1]} -gt 5 ]
    then
        #sed 's/$/ ; }/' $outputLine > newoutputLine
        outputLine="Host $((names[i]))-$((startingNumber+counter)) { hardware ethernet $first ; fixed-address $second"
        echo $outputLine
    else
        echo "#host $((names[i])) $((startingNumber+counter)) { hardware ethernet ; fixed-address ; }"
    fi
    counter=$((counter+1))
done

$ printf 'abcrd'  # `printf 'r'` produces a CR
dbc  # It LOOKS LIKE 'd' replaced 'a', but that's an artifact of printing to the terminal.

$ printf 'abcrd' | cat -et
abc^Md   # ^M represents a CR (r)