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

Elegance quality; something elegant.

Noun from → elegant.

Gracefully refined and dignified, as in tastes, habits, or literary style; graceful in form or movement; excellent; fine; superior (Dictionary.com).

M.E., from M.Fr., from L. elegantem (nominative elegans) "choice, fine, tasteful," from eligere "to select, choose."

Qašang "elegant, nicely fitted up" (Steingass), variant šang; cf. Sogd. xšang "beautiful, magnificient, excellent," maybe related to Av. xšnu- "to entertain, welcome, take care of (a guest)," O.Pers. xšnu- "to be satisfied, glad," Pers. xošnud "satisfied, content."

An equation with surprising simplicity that expresses a fundamental result relating several apparently unassociable elements. For example, → Euler's formula for the particular case of θ = π, and the → mass-energy relation.

→ elegant; → equation.

1) The part of the body from the top of the → thigh down to the → foot.
2) Anatomy: The lower limb of a human being between the → knee and the → ankle.

M.E., from O.Norse leggr; cognate with Dan. læg, Swed. läg "the calf of the leg."

Leng, related to Mid.Pers. zang "shank, ankle;" Av. zanga-, zənga- "bone of the leg; ankle bone; ankle;" Skt. jánghā- "lower leg;" maybe somehow related to E. → shank.

1) Permitted by law; lawful.
2) Of or relating to law; connected with the law or its administration (Dictionary.com).

From M.Fr. légal or directly from L. legalis "legal, pertaining to the law," from lex (genitive legis) "law."

Qânuni, of or relating to qânun, → law.

1) A non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.
2) The body of stories of this kind, especially as they relate to a particular people, group, or clan (Dictionary.com).

M.E. legende "written account of a saint's life," from O.Fr. legende and directly from M.L. legenda literally, "(things) to be read," noun use of feminine of L. legendus, gerund of legere "to read" (on certain days in church).

Cirok, from Kurd. cirok "story, fable," related to Kurd. cir-, cirin "to sing, [to recite?];" Av. kar- "to celebrate, praise;" Proto-Ir. *karH- "to praise, celebrate;" cf. Skt. kar- "to celebrate, praise;" O.Norse herma "report;" O.Prussian kirdit "to hear;" PIE *kerH₂- "to celebrate" (Cheung 2007).

Of, relating to, or of the nature of a legend.

→ legend; → -ary.

The → differential equation of the form: d/dx(1 - x²)dy/dx) + n(n + 1)y = 0. The general solution of the Legendre equation is given by y = c₁P_n(x) + c₂Q_n(x), where P_n(x) are Legendre polynomials and Q_n(x) are called Legendre functions of the second kind.

Named after Adrien-Marie Legendre (1752-1833), a French mathematician who made important contributions to statistics, number theory, abstract algebra, and mathematical analysis; → equation.

A mathematical operation that transforms one function into another. Two differentiable functions f and g are said to be Legendre transforms of each other if their first derivatives are inverse functions of each other: df(x)/dx = (dg(x)/dx)^-1. The functions f and g are said to be related by a Legendre transformation.

→ Legendre equation; → transformation.

1) The act of making or enacting laws.
2) A law or a body of laws enacted (Dictionary.com).

From Fr. législation, from L.L. legislationem, from legis latio, "proposing (literally 'bearing') of a law," → legislator.

Qânungoz&acric;ri "act or process followed by the qânungoz&acric;r", → legislator.

1) A person who gives or makes laws.
2) A member of a legislative body (Dictionary.com).

From L. legis lator "proposer of a law," from legis, genitive of lex, → law, + lator "proposer," agent noun of latus "borne, brought, carried."

Qânungozâr, literally "he who places the law," from qânun, → law, + gozâr, present stem and agent noun of gozâštan "to place, put; perform; allow, permit," related to gozaštan "to pass, to cross," → trans-

A mathematical solution or demonstration when it yields a result in a surprising way (e.g., from apparently unrelated theorems), is short, and is based on fundamental concepts. According to Henri Poincaré, what gives the feeling of elegance "is the harmony of the different parts, their symmetry, and their happy adjustment; it is, in a word, all that introduces order, all that gives them unity, that enables us to obtain a clear comprehension of the whole as well as of the parts. ... Elegance may result from the feeling of surprise caused by the un-looked-for occurrence together of objects not habitually associated. ... Briefly stated, the sentiment of mathematical elegance is nothing but the satisfaction due to some conformity between the solution we wish to discover and the necessities of our mind" (Henri Poincaré, Science and Method, 1908). According to Bertrand Russell, "Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty -- a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture, without appeal to any part of our weaker nature, without the gorgeous trappings of painting or music, yet sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show" (Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, 1945).

→ mathematical; → elegance.

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.