translationally
- adverb
- /ˌtrænsləˈʃənəli/
- Specialized
- The object moved translationally across the surface of the water.
Examples
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In physics class, we learned that forces cause objects to accelerate translationally.
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But it's conserved if the world is translationally invariant.
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The car's motion was translationally smooth as it glided down the hill.
Surface Forms
Morphology
translationally = translational (semi-transparent) = translate + al + ly
The adverb is formed by straightforward suffixation (-al, -ly) from 'translate', but the physics sense 'movement without rotation' is technical and may not be obvious to learners who know only the language-related sense of 'translate'.
Etymology
The word translationally comes from the prefix trans- meaning 'across' and a root that meant 'to carry', as in transport and transfer. Think of a box sliding straight across a table without turning, so translationally means moving in a straight line 'across' rather than turning.
