On 2017-08-25 02:58, Ben Bacarisse 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".
To me, an "integral" is the result of integration.
I'm OK with "real" as a noun, but only because I'm used to its use in
programming.
"Complex" already has a meaning as a noun, though not mathematical.
But what about "imaginary"?
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