Symbols:Nabla/Linguistic Note
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Linguistic Note on Nabla
The term nabla derives from the ancient Greek word νάβλα for a Phoenician harp.
This arises from the shape of the nabla symbol: $\nabla$.
The term was originally suggested by the encyclopedist William Robertson Smith to Peter Guthrie Tait.
As a result of this suggestion, the term was used in correspondence between Tait and James Clerk Maxwell, mainly in a jocular context.
The name gained official traction as a result of its adoption by Lord Kelvin in his lectures.
Sources
- 1951: B. Hague: An Introduction to Vector Analysis (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {IV}$: The Operator $\nabla$ and its Uses: $1$. The Operator $\nabla$