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

An instrument used to determine the precise timing of a star's passage across a vertical circle. It is used for making precise determinations of the positions of stars and planets, and can be used inversely to determine the latitude and longitude of the observer, assuming the star positions are accurately known. It consists of an accurate prism, a small pool of mercury to serve as an artificial horizon. The most notable example of this type of instrument is that of → Danjon astrolabe.

Adj. of → prism + → astrolabe.

The spectrum formed by a dispersing prism or a dispersing prism system.

Adj. of → prism + → spectrum.

The state of being private.

Noun from → private.

Pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; → personal (Dictionary.com).

L. privatus "set apart, peculiar, personal," used in contrast to publicus, p.p. of privare "to separate, deprive, to rob" from privus "one's own, individual."

Vâvan, literally "separated, not bound," from vâ- separation prefix, → de-, + van, contraction of vand, band, from vastan, bastan "to bind, fasten, close," → band.

The transfer from public to private ownership.

→ private; → -tion.

To transfer from public to private ownership and control.

→ private; → -ize.

A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group (OxfordDictionaries.com).

M.E., from O.Fr. privilege "right, priority, privilege" and directly from L. privilegium "law applying to one person, bill of law in favor of or against an individual," from privus "individual," → private.

Fardâré, from far- intensive prefix "much, abundant; elegantly," → perfect, + dâr present stem of dâštan "to have, possess," → property, + noun/relation suffix -é.

Having special rights, advantages, or immunities.

Adjective from → privilege.

A prefix of priority in space or time having especially a meaning of advancing or projecting forward or outward.

From L. pro "in favor of, in place of, before, for," also in some cases from cognate Gk. pro "before, in front of," both from PIE base *por- "forward, through;" cf. Pers. farâ-, as below; Gk. para- "from beside, against, beyond;" Goth. faura "before," O.E. fore "before, for, on account of."

Farâ- "forward, along; above, upon, over; before, foremost, opposing, facing," variant far- intensive prefix "much, abundant; elegantly," from Mid.Pers. fra-; O.Pers. fra- "forward, forth;" Av. frā, fərā-, fra- "forward, forth; before; excessive" (fratəma- "first, front," pouruua- "first," fra-cara- "preceding"); cf. Skt. prá- "before; forward, in fron," prathama- "earliest, initial," pūrva- "first;" Gk. pro; L. pro, as above.

1) General: The quality or fact of being probable. A strong → likelihood or chance of something.
2) Statistics: The branch of → mathematics that studies the possible outcomes of given events and their relative distributions. → probability theory.

From → probable + → -ity.

A curve that describes the distribution of probability over the values of a random variable.

→ probability; → curve.

A mathematical function whose integral over any interval gives the probability that a continuous → random variable has values in this interval. Also known as → density function, frequency function, → probability function.

→ probability; → density; → function.

The function that describes the range of possible values that a random variable can attain and the probability that the value of the random variable is within any (measurable) subset of that range.

→ probability; → distribution.

A function that represents a probability distribution in terms of integrals. Also called probability density function or density function.

→ probability; → function.

A branch of → mathematics with its own axioms and methods, which is based on the concept of → randomness and is concerned with the possible outcome of given → events and their relative → likelihoods and → distributions.

→ probability; → theory.

Likely to happen or to be true; likely but uncertain.

From O.Fr. probable, from L. probabilis "provable," from probare "to try, to test, to prove worthy," from probus "worthy, good, upright, virtuous," from PIE *pro-bhwo- "being in front," from *pro-, extended form of base *per- (cf. Pers. farâ "forward, front"), + base *bhu- "to be" (cf. Pers. budan "to be").

Šavânâ (on the model of tavânâ "able, strong", from tav- "to be able"), from šow- present stem of šodan "to become, to be, to be doing, to go, to pass," from Mid.Pers. šudan, šaw- "to go;" Av. š(ii)auu-, šiyav- "to move, go," šiyavati "goes," šyaoθna- "activity; action; doing, working;" O.Pers. šiyav- "to go forth, set," ašiyavam "I set forth;" cf. Skt. cyu- "to move to and fro, shake about; to stir," cyávate "stirs himself, goes;" Gk. kinein "to move;" Goth. haitan "call, be called;" O.E. hatan "command, call;" PIE base *kei- "to move to and fro."

A deviation from the population mean μ such that 50% of the observations may be expected to lie between μ - PE and μ + PE. For the normal distribution, the probable error is 0.6745 times the standard deviation.

→ probable; → error.

1) (n.) An exploratory action or device for investigating and obtaining information on a remote region.
Same as → space probe. → lunar probe.
2) (v.) To conduct a thorough investigation of something.
To examine or explore with a probe.

M.L. proba "examination, test," L. probare "to test, prove worthy," from probus "worthy, good, upright."

1) Gomâné "a shaft sunk in order to ascertain the depth of the water when making a subterraneous canal," from Proto-Iranian *vi-mā-, from vi- "apart, away from, out" (cf. Av. vi-; O.Pers. viy- "apart, away;" Skt. vi- "apart, asunder, away, out;" L. vitare "to avoid, turn aside") + mā- "to measure" (cf. O.Pers./Av. mā(y)- "to measure;" Mod.Pers. mâ/mun/mân "measure," as in Pers. terms âzmâ- "to test;" pirâmun "perimeter," âzmun "test, trial," peymân "measuring, agreement," peymâné "a measure; a cup, bowl;" PIE base *me- "to measure;" cf. Skt. mati "measures," matra- "measure;" Gk. metron "measure;" L. metrum).
2) Gomâné zadan composite infinitive of gomân with zadan "to strike, beat; to play an instrument; to do" (Mid.Pers. zatan, žatan; O.Pers./Av. jan-, gan- "to strike, hit, smite, kill" (jantar- "smiter"); cf. Skt. han- "to strike, beat" (hantar- "smiter, killer"); Gk. theinein "to strike;" L. fendere "to strike, push;" Gmc. *gundjo "war, battle;" PIE *g^when- "to strike, kill").

1) Any question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty.
2) Math.: A statement requiring a solution, usually by means of a mathematical operation or geometric construction.

M.E., from O.Fr. problème, from L. problema, from Gk. problema "a problem, a question," literally "thing put forward," from proballein "to propose," from → pro- "forward" + ballein "to throw," → ballistics.

Parâsé, from pərəs- present tense stem of Av. fras- "to ask, question, inquire," pərəsaiti "asks," to which is related Mod.Pers. pors-, porsidan "to ask;" Mid.Pers. pursidan; O.Pers. prs-, fraθ- "to ask, examine, investigate, punish;" Sogd. anfrāsē "question, enquiry;" cf. Skt. praś- "to ask, long for;" Tokharian prak-/prek- "to ask;" L. prex "request," precor "to ask, to pray;" Lith. prašyti "to ask, to demand;" Ger. fragen "to ask;" PIE base *prek- "to ask."

1) Posing a problem; difficult to solve.
2) Open to doubt; debatable.
3) Not settled; unresolved or dubious (TheFreeDictionary.com).

From M.Fr. problematique, from L. problematicus, from Gk. problematikos "pertaining to a problem," from → problem.