On Fri, Aug 25, 2017 at 11:58 AM, Ben Bacarisse <ben.use...@bsb.me.uk> wrote: > Chris Angelico <ros...@gmail.com> writes: > >> On Fri, Aug 25, 2017 at 11:25 AM, Ben Bacarisse <ben.use...@bsb.me.uk> wrote: >>> The use as a noun is not covered here, though it is only a small step >>> from other places where membership of a mathematical set has turned the >>> adjective into a noun. "Rational" and "real" started out as adjectives, >>> but their use as nouns is now widespread. "The function returns a >>> real". "The result is a rational". It's much less common for complex >>> and integral, to the point that it sounds wrong to me. >> >> This is a common thing in English (and many other languages). When you >> find yourself frequently using similar phrases, you abbreviate them: >> >> * real number -> real >> * rational number -> rational >> * complex number -> complex >> >> Thus the adjective acquires a new meaning as a noun. As my mother (and >> grammar teacher) drummed into me: No word is a part of speech unless >> it appears in context. > > Yes, we agree on that, but has it become natural(!) yet with complex and > integral? Not to my ear. What about yours? > > To me, the "adjectiveness" is still so strong that my brain asks "an > integral what?", "a complex what?". That does not happen in my head > with "a real" or "a rational".
Yes, it's comfortable on my ear. But maybe that's because I'm stronger in programming than in mathematical theory. ChrisA -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
