Simultaneities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Instances of occurrence happening at the same time
2. Events or actions that coincide in timing, creating a shared moment
3. Multiple happenings that take place concurrently, allowing for direct comparison or interaction

Etymology: "Simultaneities" is simply the plural of "simultaneity", the noun for the quality of being simultaneous. The base word is "simultaneous", which comes from the Late Latin "simultaneus", formed from the Latin "simul" meaning "at the same time", with the adjective ending "-ous" added in English. The noun ending "-ity" was attached to that adjective, and the French "simultanéité" follows the same pattern. The noun "simultaneity" is built on a shape that might look odd at first. Taken apart by its surface form, the word is "simult(aneous)" plus "-aneity", which reflects how English speakers built the noun from the adjective's stem rather than adding the suffix directly to the complete adjective. Pluralising it to "simultaneities" simply gives a count of separate instances of things happening at once.