Disputatio:Relativitas specialis

Relativitas specialis fuit pagina mensis Martii 2008.

I have trouble with the assertion that applicabilis doesn't mean "applicable". Although this particular sentence can be recast suing idonea "suitable", "applicable" is important enough of a concept and distinct enough for scientific communication that I want to make sure about this. Applicabilis is listed in many dictionaries including words as meaning "applicable" and googling I found sources going back to the 13th century apparently, at least to my eye, in the meaning of "applicable":

[1] [2] [3] [4] http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/xpl.html --Rafaelgarcia 14:04, 29 Ianuarii 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I appreciate very much the need for conceptual clarity and consistency in scientific communication, and so I won't press on using classical terms, if that threatens intelligibility in contexts requiring exactness of formulation. My primary worry was this: Wherever you look in the Vicipaedia, you'll find articles replete with Latinate English recast in Latin without much reflecting on the matter. While I'm not contending you're committing sins like this, nevertheless I wanted to check it out in the case of applicabilis. By all means, feel free to use applicare and applicabilis, if that fulfills an irreplaceable need of a mot juste. A couple of comments, though: (1) Applicabilis isn't attested until medieval Latin; however, this isn't a serious objection, because the "morphological component" of Latin grammar generated this form, whenever needed. (2) Had Cicero felt a need for forming applicabilis, of the two living acceptations of Engl. applicable (see OED), the Ciceronian adjective would probably have covered 'capable of being applied; having reference' but not 'fit or suitable for its purpose, appropriate'. The basic meaning of "A applicat B_ACC ad C_ACC" in the antiquity was 'A brings B near to or into contact with C', where C denotes a place, not a purpose. For the latter acceptation, you might consider "accommodare D_ACC in E_ACC". Martinus Neander 01:40, 30 Ianuarii 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the clarification on what you meant. The difference in meaning you point out can be quite subtle depending on the context. A physical theory is of course applied to a physical phenomenon or situation rather than to a physical object (usually).--Rafaelgarcia 02:21, 30 Ianuarii 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For the adjective 'applicable,' the White Latin Dictionary (1928) gives: "1. Fit to use, suitable; utilis, e, Cic., Ov.; aptus, a um, Cic., Hor.; accommodatus, a, um, Cic.—2. That relates to, concerns: Translate by verbs under APPERTAIN, no. 3, with rel. pron." And then under "appertain," 3, it gives: pertineo and attineo. IacobusAmor 04:08, 30 Ianuarii 2008 (UTC)[reply]