Quanta
/ˈkwɒn.tə/noun
Plural of quantum; in physics, discrete packets or amounts of energy or other quantities.
Did you know?Quantum comes from Latin quantus, meaning “how much,” and its scientific power exploded after Planck used it for discrete energy packets, turning an old word of quantity into the language of reality’s hidden limits.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwo-
“Interrogative root meaning “who? what?””
Latin
Latin
quantus
““how great? how much?””
Late Latin
Latin
quantum
““how much; how large a quantity””
17th Century
Latin/English
quantum
“A definite amount or quantity”
20th Century
English
quanta
“Plural of quantum; discrete units, especially in physics”