fraction English · revision 10722

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1391|origins=xno fraccioun|origins=la-lat fractio}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfræk.ʃən/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|xno|fraccioun]], Old French fraccion, a breaking,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Late Latin frāctiō, a breaking, especially of bread in church,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) from frāct-, past participle stem of frangere, to break (see [[break]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) [[fragment]] is a doublet.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In mathematics, a quantity that is not a whole number: 1391, in Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) the late 14th century in Hoad.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The American Heritage note observes that although the Babylonians knew mathematical fractions, the word itself goes back only to Latin.^(AHD) A breaking or dividing, of the heart, is from before 1410,^(Barnhart 1988) and breaking in general from the early 15th century;^(Etymonline) the breaking of the bread in the Eucharist is from 1504.^(OED 1989) Discord or dissension is an obsolete sense of 1502.^(OED 1989) A piece broken off, a fragment, is first found in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida (1606).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) In chemistry, a fraction is a component separated by distillation.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) ''Fractional'' is from the 17th century, and ''fractious'' formed on the model of factious.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1391 – a mathematical fraction.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1410 – a breaking.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1504 – the fraction of the bread.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1606 – a fragment.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 17th century – fractional.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(mathematics)'' A number that is not a whole number, such as ½ or 0.75; a ratio of two numbers.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A small part or amount: ''a fraction of the cost''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A fragment or piece.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(chemistry)'' A component of a mixture separated by [[distillation]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[fractional]]

+ * [[fractionalize]]

+ * [[fractionate]]

+ * [[fractionation]]

+ * [[fractionator]]

+ * [[fractionize]]

+ * [[subfraction]]

+ * [[common fraction]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fractal]]

+ * [[fractious]]

+ * [[fracture]]

+ * [[fragment]]

+ * [[frail]]

+ * [[frailty]]

+ * [[fragile]]

+ * [[frangible]]

+ * [[refract]]

+ * [[refractive]]

+ * [[refraction]]

+ * [[refractory]]

+ * [[refrangible]]

+ * [[refringent]]

+ * [[infract]]

+ * [[infraction]]

+ * [[infringe]]

+ * [[infringement]]

+ * [[infrangible]]

+ * [[break]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}