An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

1) The faculty of the mind to preserve and recall past sensations, thoughts, knowledge, etc.
2) In computers and recording instruments, any device into which information can be introduced and later extracted.

M.E. memorie, from L. memoria, from memor "mindful, remembering;" cf. Gk. mermera "care," merimna "anxious thought, sorrow," martyr "witness;" Pers. šomârdan "to count;" Mid.Pers. ôšmârtan, ôšmurtan "to reckon, calculate, enumerate, account for;" from Av. base (š)mar- "to have in mind, remember, recall," pati-šmar- "to recall; to long for," hišmar-; Skt. smar- "to remember, become aware," smarati "he remembers."

Barm "memory," variant bar (az bar kardan "to memorize"), bir, vir, from Mid.Pers. varm "memory," variants vir, vârom "mind, conscience;" from Av. vārəma, vārəm "according to one's wishes," from var- "to choose."

The amount of information which can be retained in a memory, usually expressed as the number of words which can be retained. For comparison of different memories this number is expressed in bits.

→ memory; → capacity.

Storage capacity which does not depend on a continuous supply of power, e.g. disks, magnetic tapes, etc.

→ permanent; → memory.

In computer technique, a configuration of memory cells that hold data for processing by a central processing unit (CPU). The term random derives from the fact that the CPU can retrieve data from any individual location, or address, within RAM.

→ random; → access; → memory.