Disputatio:Fractal

Latin form

---Begin text from Disputatio Vicipaediae:Paginae quas omnibus Wikipediis contineri oportet#Fractal---
Mycēs is correct, the adjective should be fractalis, -e. Here's a problem though: in most languages the word is used both as an adjective (e.g. "fractal fern frond") and as a substantive noun (e.g. "This is my favorite fractal.") What gender should the substantival form be? This is important, because the article title should presumably be the substantive form, and if that is neuter, it will be fractale rather than fractalis.

Honestly, my instinct is saying neuter. My German ain't as good as it should be, but I get the impression that it is neuter there. On the other hand, in French (in which language the word was originally coined) it is feminine, but since French has no neuter that is not 100% decisive. According to Fr:Fractal, Mandelbrot always used the word adjectivaly, using "objets fractals" for the substantive. This doesn't seem all that helpful though, as I suspect Latin would render "fractal objects" as fractalia.

Do any of you speak a language with three genders (e.g. German, Russian) well enough to check what happens to this noun? --Iustinus 17:38 sep 23, 2004 (UTC)

In German it appears to be "das Fraktal," so it is neuter. Adam Episcopus 20:43 sep 23, 2004 (UTC)

Actually as a substantive from an -alis/-aris adjective one could favor fractal] psilon, no? —Myces Tiberinus 00:08 sep 24, 2004 (UTC)

Actually I was thinking the same thing, but left it out for simplicity's sake. Fractal -is, n. could definitely work. Not sure if it's better than fractale or not (but then again most words of that class have such alternate forms) --Iustinus 01:20 sep 24, 2004 (UTC)

Originally Mandelbrot formed the word fractal from Latin "fractus", fraction. // Solkoll 07:09 sep 24, 2004 (UTC)

I dropped a post to the newsgroup sci.fractals containing a link to this discussion. Maybe someone there knows for sure. // Solkoll 08:02 sep 24, 2004 (UTC)

Pravda est' fraktal po ruskij! It is a masculine noun, but an inanimate one. For those unfamiliar with russian, inanimate nouns act like Latin neuters, that is the nominative and accusative forms are the same, regardless of gender, with the exception of the first (feminine 'a' nouns) declension. So it takes masculine adjectival forms, but behaves like a Latin neuter. I would vote for fractale neuter in Latin, but that's just aesthetic instinct.--Ioscius 15:39, 5 Februarii 2006 (UTC)

---End copied text---

In lingua Germanica verbum est neutrale. "Das Fraktal" id est "fractale, fractalis, fractalia". Sed plurius Geometria fractalis, forma fractalis et cetera. --Alex1011 22:10, 26 Ianuarii 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps Iustinus' suggestion of Fractal (-is) for the substantive and fractalis -is -e for the adjective is the most conservative and workable solution.--Rafaelgarcia 02:24, 27 Ianuarii 2009 (UTC)

Nos omnes ut videtur hac re concinimus! Insuper similiter habemus nomen substantivum ănĭmăl, -ālis (n.) 'animal' et nomen adiectivum ănĭmālis, -e 'airy, living'. IacobusAmor 04:31, 27 Ianuarii 2009 (UTC)