Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site princeton.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxi!mhuxa!ulysses!princeton!levy From: levy@princeton.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: quantum leap Message-ID: <254@princeton.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Aug-83 11:48:38 EDT Article-I.D.: princeto.254 Posted: Wed Aug 3 11:48:38 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Aug-83 01:30:46 EDT References: <824@gummo.UUCP>, <2380@rochester.UUCP> Organization: Princeton University Lines: 15 So you go to your Latin-English dictionary, find out that "quantum" translates as "quantity", and since your Webster's says that "quantity" *can mean* "large amount", you decide that's what Latin "quantum" means. By the same token, "wars" and "pretty" mean the same thing, since they can both be translated by Latin "bella"... "Quantum" does not mean "large amount" any more than "small amount". Its application in physics (and consequently in the expression "quantum leap") derives from the connotation of discrete change, as opposed to gradual or continuous change. In this sense the expression "quantum leap" makes sense, but the problem is that in physics quantum leaps are very tiny ones, so to some people at least (those who care about such things anyway) the expression is associated with smallness, whereas many people who use it (especially politicians) mean a big change, instead of a discrete one (not much use in trying to blame them for change the original meaning, people have always done that. One of the joys of nlang.)