Quantity
/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.ti/noun
The amount or number of something; a measurable extent.
Did you know?Quantity comes through Latin from a root tied to *how much* and *how many*, and in medieval philosophy it became one of the core categories used to describe the structure of reality itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷo- / *kʷi-
“Interrogative and relative roots meaning “who? what? which?””
Latin
Latin
quantus
“How great? how much? of what size?”
Late Latin
Latin
quantitas
“Amount, extent, magnitude”
Old French
Old French
quantité
“Amount, number, quantity”
14th Century
English
quantite
“Amount or extent”
Modern English
English
quantity
“The amount or number of something”