different between differentia vs definiens

English

Etymology

From Latin differentia. Doublet of difference.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?f????n???/

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.

   • 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

Interlingua

Noun

differentia (plural differentias)

1. difference

Latin

Etymology

From differ? (“I am different”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /dif.fe?ren.ti.a/, [d??f?????n?t?iä]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /dif.fe?ren.t?si.a/, [d?if?????nt??s?i?]

Noun

differentia f (genitive differentiae); first declension

1. difference
2. diversity

Declension

First-declension noun.

Descendants

Participle

differentia

1. nominative neuter plural of differ?ns
2. accusative neuter plural of differ?ns
3. vocative neuter plural of differ?ns

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

English

Etymology

From Latin, substantive use of d?f?ni?ns (“[a] defining”), present active participle of d?f?ni? (“I set bounds to”, “I define”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: d?f??n??nz, dëf??niëns, d?f??n?ënz, IPA^(key): /d??f?n??nz/, /de??fi?nie?ns/, /di??fa?n???nz/

Noun

definiens (plural definientia)

1. (semantics) The word or phrase that defines the definiendum in a definition.

   In the defining statement “A lake is a large, landlocked, naturally occurring stretch of water”, “large, landlocked, naturally occurring stretch of water” is the definiens.

Related terms

• define
• definiendum
• definition

See also

• Definition on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• definiens at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Notes:

Latin

Etymology

Present participle of d?f?ni?.

Participle

d?f?ni?ns (genitive d?f?nientis); third-declension one-termination participle

1. limiting, terminating

Declension

Third-declension participle.

¹When used purely as an adjective.