July 24, 2023

Word of the Week--"volume"
Definition-- an amount or quantity, the amplitude or loudness of a sound, the capacity of a three-dimensional container, or a collection of printed sheets bound together.
Discussion--Volume has several meanings depending on the context in which it is used. In mathematics it generally refers to the amount of a substance that a container can hold. For example, the volume of liquid that many soda bottles can contain 16 ounces. In the world of books, a volume often refers to one of a set of books, for example, Volume 3 of the Encyclopedia.
Etymology--volume is derived from the Old French term of the same name, which was borrowed directly from the Latin volumen meaning a coil, wreath, or roll as in a manuscript. This meaning comes from the Latin volvere to turn around or roll. So the original meaning of a roll of parchment evolved into a book that is part of a set in the 1500's in France. From there it came to indicate the bulk or size of a book. In the 1600's it acquired the more general meaning of any bulk, quantity, or mass. The meaning of the amount of sound was not recorded until the 1800's.
The Latin root for volume is obviously present in the languages below.
Foreign Translations German and Spanish: volumen Dutch, French, and Italian: volume   Jane Ellis      Previous Words of the Week

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