analog
Meaning
Relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position, voltage, etc.
A person or thing seen as comparable to another.
Structure
Usage
The old clock has an analog face with hands, not a digital display.
In biology, the wing of a bird is considered an analog of the wing of an insect, as they serve the same function but evolved independently.
Many audiophiles prefer the warm sound of vinyl records, which store music in an analog format.
Etymology
The word "analog" originates from the Greek analogos, meaning "proportionate." This term is a compound of the prefix ana- ("according to") and logos (which in this context carries the sense of "ratio" or "proportion"). The core logic is one of correspondence and continuous relationship, where one thing is "according to the ratio" of another. This foundational idea of a continuous, proportional relationship was adopted into Latin as analogus and entered English in the early 19th century. Its meaning evolved from a general sense of correspondence to its modern technical sense, describing a system where information is represented by a continuously variable physical quantity, mirroring the original concept of a proportional, non-discrete relationship.
Analysis
- ana: A Greek prefix meaning "up, back, again, throughout, according to." - log: From Greek logos, meaning "word, speech, reason, proportion, ratio."