General: The separation of an intellectual or material whole into its
constituent parts for individual study. The study of such constituent
parts and their interrelationships in making up a whole
(opposite of → synthesis).
Chemistry: The separation of a substance into its constituent elements to
determine either their nature (qualitative analysis) or their
proportions (quantitative analysis).
Mathematics: A branch of mathematics principally involving
→ differential and integral calculus,
→ sequences, and → series and concerned with
→ limits and → convergence.
Etymology (EN): From M.L. analysis, from Gk. analysis “a breaking up,”
from analyein “unloose,” from ana- “up, throughout” +
lysis “a loosening,” from lyein
“to loosen, release, untie”. The L. cognate and counterpart
of this Gk. word, i.e. luere has formed the words solve,
dissolve, solution. The Skt. cognate lu, lunoti “to cut, sever,
mow, pluck, tear asunder, destroy,” lava “cutting, plucking;
what is cut; fragment, piece;” PIE *leu- “to loosen, divide, cut apart”.
The Eng. lose, loose and Ger. los derive from this root.
Etymology (PE): Ânâlas, from ânâ-, → ana-, +
las “loose” ([Mo’in], Gilaki, Tabari, Tâleši, Aftari). We do not
know the Av./O.Pers. counterparts of these Gk. las, lysis, lyein,
but we
believe that las and the following words probably derive from
the above-mentioned PIE *leu-:
lâ “slit, cut” (Tabari),
lâb, lâp, lib “slit, cut, piece, half” (Tabari),
lâpé “a cut piece of wood” [Mo’in],
lâpé kardan “to cut a timber along its length” [Mo’in],
lap “piece, big piece, big cut” [Mo’in]. This word was chosen by
Farhangestân I for “lobe of the lung”.
lâc “open, wide-open” (Tabari),
luš “torn” [Mo’in], also luš luš [Mo’in]
“in pieces,"
lat “torn, piece” [Mo’in]. Compare with luta “cut,
cut off” in Pali.
Lat may also be a contraction of laxt.
lok “torn, piece” (Qâyeni),
lâš “slit” (Tabari),
lâš kardan “to pick, to pluck” [Mo’in],
latu “plough” (Tabari).
Ânâkâvidan, from ânâ- +
kâvidan (kâftan) “to examine, investigate, search;
dig," from kâv + infinitive suffix -idan;
compare with Mod.Pres. kâvâk “hollow, empty,”
L. cavus “hollow” (E. derivatives: cavity, concave, cave,
excavate), Gk. koilos “hollow.”
