Matricí

Matricí is a term that appears in several Romance- and Latin-derived languages with related but distinct meanings, depending on context. In mathematical usage, forms such as matrici appear as the plural of matrix in Italian and Romanian, where a matrix is a rectangular array of numbers, symbols, or expressions used to represent linear transformations, systems of equations, or data structures.

In educational and administrative contexts, related forms derived from the Latin matricula refer to enrollment or registration. For example, matrícula appears in Spanish and Portuguese to denote student registration or the enrollment process, while in Catalan the related terms matriculació or matrícula are used for enrollment and the assignment of a registration number. The English term matriculation likewise denotes the act of enrolling in an academic program and is often linked to the concept of a student’s matriculation number.

Etymology for the common thread traces to Latin matricula, meaning a register or list, which passed into Romance languages and, in various forms, gave rise to words covering both mathematical matrices and enrollment processes. The mathematical sense treats matrices as lists or tables of values, while the enrollment sense emphasizes official records and identifiers associated with a person or institution.

See also Matrix, Matriculation, Matrícula, Matrícula Number, Matrícula (Spanish and Portuguese).