Mitjana

Mitjana is the Catalan word for the average or mean. In statistics and data analysis, it denotes a central value that summarizes a data set. The term can refer to different kinds of averages depending on context, with the arithmetic mean being the most common.

Etymology and usage context: The word is cognate with Latin mediana, reflecting a sense of “the middle,” and developed in Catalan through the Romance-language lineage. In everyday language, mitjana is used to describe a typical or expected value, such as the average score or the average turnout.

In mathematics and statistics, mitjana aritmètica is the standard arithmetic mean. Other related forms used in technical contexts include mitjana geometrica (geometric mean) and mitjana harmònica (harmonic mean). While mitjana often serves as a general term for an average, some contexts distinguish it from mediana, which in Catalan refers to the statistical median.

Relation to other terms: In Catalan, mediana denotes the median, a different measure of central tendency. Promig is another common word for “average” in statistical usage, and is often preferred in some domains or formal writing. The choice between mitjana and promig can depend on regional or disciplinary conventions.

See also: Mean, Median, Promig, Mitjana aritmètica, mitjana geometrica, mitjana harmònica. Examples of use include phrases like “la mitjana de les notes” (the average of the grades) or “la mitjana poblacional” (the population mean).