Fundaments

Fundaments is the plural form of fundament, a term that denotes the basic underlying principles, elements, or foundations of a subject, system, or object. In modern English, the more common expressions are foundations, fundamentals, or basis, and fundaments is rarely used outside historical or specialized contexts. The word derives from Latin fundamenta via Old French and Middle English, and it historically referred to the structural base of a building or the ground beneath it, as well as the essential propositions of a theory.

In philosophy and science, fundaments sometimes appear in older scholarship to refer to the basic propositions or axioms on which a theory rests, rather than its specific applications. In everyday use, one would typically say “the fundamentals of physics” rather than “the fundaments.” In architecture and construction, fundaments can be used in a literal sense to describe the foundational elements that support structures, though “foundations” is the standard term today.

In music, the term fundamental or foundation of a pitch is standard; “fundaments” is not common in contemporary music theory, though the word may appear in historical texts or poetic usage to denote the basic tonal or melodic support of a piece. In computing and formal systems, foundations or fundaments are more often referenced as the underlying principles or axioms of a formal language or framework; again, fundaments is uncommon.

See also: foundations, fundamentals, basis, groundwork, underlying principle.