Re: Terminology for composite attributes

"Paul" <paul_at_test.com> wrote in message news:4243225e$0$81025$ed2e19e4_at_ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> dawn wrote:
> >>I would take "arity". As in the arity of a tuple.
> >
> > OK, that works. I like that this term is used with functions and
> > graphs too, but I don't like that "arity" sounds a bit pretentious or
> > academic. I've never heard a software developer use the term arity,
> > even when talking about number of parameters.
>
> I think the etymology of the term is from the endings of "unary",
> "binary", "ternary" "denary" etc. Then an "it" was stuck in for some
> reason, maybe the word "ary" sounded too silly.
>
> Paul.

I think the etymology is from words like "singularity". "Plurality" is similar, except for the swapping of the "r" and the "l". But then, "Algeria" in Spanish is "Argelia", isn't it? ;) Received on Fri Mar 25 2005 - 14:54:08 CET