Saltus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sudden leap or abrupt movement; an interval or gap between stages or elements; in philosophy or logic, a critical transition or jump in reasoning
2. An instantaneous jump or discontinuity in a process; a physical or conceptual gap or leap; a marked stage-to-stage transition, often abrupt in nature
3. An abrupt break or leap such as a stagewise gap; a significant interruption in continuity; a philosophical or logical leap between different points

Etymology: "Saltus" is a Latin word meaning "a leap," and in English it has come to name a sudden, sharp break in continuity, a jump rather than a gradual slope. The Latin noun comes from the verb "salire," to leap, the same root that produced the everyday English word "salient," something that springs out or stands out. The word also has a close relative in English: "salto," an Italian-derived term for a somersault or leap, which entered English through the same Latin source by a different route. Words that share an origin but reached a language by separate paths in this way are called doublets, and "saltus" and "salto" are a neat example of one Latin leap splitting into two English forms, one kept learned and formal, the other borrowed in a more lively, acrobatic sense.

Synonyms: jump, leap, spring

Antonyms: fall, drop