無限小

Japanese

Kanji in this term
無	限	小
む Grade: 4	げん Grade: 5	しょう Grade: 1
goon		on’yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) むげんしょー [mùgéńshóó] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) むげ​んしょー [mùgéꜜǹshòò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ᵝɡẽ̞ɰ̃ɕo̞ː]

Noun

無(む)限(げん)小(しょう) • (mugenshō) ^{←むげんせう (mugenseu)?}

1. (mathematics) infinitesimal

   Antonym: 無限大 (mugendai)

2. infinitesimal (extremely small)
   • 1923, 江戸川乱歩, 恐ろしき錯誤‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     事実(じじつ)の真髄(しんずい)に余程近(よほどちか)づいたことは確(たし)かだった。併(しか)し、真髄(しんずい)そのものは、矢張(やっぱ)り今(いま)にも分(わか)り相(そう)でいて、少(すこ)しも分(わか)らなかった。それは無限小(むげんしょう)の距離(きょり)には近(ちか)づき得(え)ても、本体(ほんたい)に触(ふ)れることは絶対(ぜったい)に出来(でき)ない様(よう)な、もどかしさだった。

     Jijitsu no shinzui ni yohodo chikazuita koto wa tashika datta. Shikashi, shinzui sono mono wa, yappari ima ni mo wakarisō de ite, sukoshi mo wakaranakatta. Sore wa mugenshō no kyori ni wa chikazukiete mo, hontai ni fureru koto wa zettai ni dekinai yō na, modokashisa datta.

     It was certain I came quite close to the pith of the truth. But the pith itself, I seemed to be on the verge of knowing yet I did not know in the least. It was a vexing feeling, like being able to come within an infinitesimal distance but being completely unable to touch the main thing.

See also

• 無(む)限(げん) (mugen)