Kinemas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plural form referring to various movements or motions, especially those of bodies or mechanisms; instances of physical or mechanical action; different patterns or sequences of motion observed in a system
2. Multiple occurrences of motion or activity, often describing how parts move relative to each other; a set of dynamic motions sustained over time; diverse examples of physical displacement or locomotion
3. A collection of movements within mechanical or biological contexts; separate actions involving changes in position or posture; several types of motion or kinetic processes occurring in a structure or organism

Etymology: "Kinemas" is the plural of "kinema," a noun for the sustained, multiple motions of physical displacement, most often used in discussions of how parts of a body or machine move relative to one another. The singular has a surprisingly humble origin: it was borrowed from Nepali, where "किनेमा" (kinemā) literally means "fermented flavour." That sense comes from Limbu, a language of eastern Nepal, where "ki" means "fermented" and "nambaa" means "flavour." The unexpected step is how a word for a fermented taste came to describe movement. A pungent, fermented flavour has nothing to do with motion, so the path from food to physics is entirely accidental. The English term is best understood as a technical borrowing that kept only its sound and shape, while its meaning was set anew in its adopted context.

Synonyms: kinematics