differentia

See also: différentia

English

Etymology

From Latin differentia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪfəˈɹɛnʃɪə/

Noun

differentia (plural differentiae)

1. (semantics, logic, taxonomy) A distinguishing feature which marks a species off from other members of the same genus.
   • 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.

   • 2017, Kory Stamper, Word By Word, Vintage 2018, p. 116:

     In the case of a word like “surfboard,” the differentiae seem pretty clear. How is this board different from all other boards?

See also

• criterion
• definiendum

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Interlingua

Noun

differentia (plural differentias)

1. difference

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Latin

Etymology

From differō (“I am different”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /dif.feˈren.ti.a/, [dɪf.fɛˈrɛn.ti.a]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /dif.feˈren.t͡si.a/

• Audio (Classical)

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• Audio (Ecclesiastical)

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• Audio (Roman)

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Noun

differentia f (genitive differentiae); first declension

1. difference
2. diversity

Inflection

First declension.

Case	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

References

• differentia in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• differentia in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• differentia in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• differentia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette