differentia

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Latin differentia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪfəˈɹɛnʃɪə/

Noun

differentia (plural differentiae)

1. (semantics, logic) A distinguishing feature which marks something off from other members of the same family.
   • 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 38:

     That character, it seems to me, should be regarded as the practically important differentia of religion for our purpose.

   • 1928, E. M. Edghill, Categories, translation of original by Aristotle:

     If genera are different and co-ordinate, their differentiae are themselves different in kind. Take as an instance the genus ‘animal’ and the genus ‘knowledge’. ‘With feet’, ‘two-footed’, ‘winged’, ‘aquatic’, are differentiae of ‘animal’; the species of knowledge are not distinguished by the same differentiae.

2. (taxonomy) An attribute that distinguishes a species from others of the same genus.

See also

• criterion
• definiendum

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Latin

Pronunciation

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Noun

differentia f (genitive differentiae); first declension

1. difference
2. diversity

Inflection

First declension.

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	differentia	differentiae
genitive	differentiae	differentiārum
dative	differentiae	differentiīs
accusative	differentiam	differentiās
ablative	differentiā	differentiīs
vocative	differentia	differentiae

Participle

differentia

1. nominative neuter plural of differens
2. accusative neuter plural of differens
3. vocative neuter plural of differens