cantitativi

Cantitativi is the plural form of cantitativo and is used in Italian to refer to elements that express quantity. In standard Italian, the corresponding adjective is quantitativo and the plural is quantitativi; cantitativi is less common and is often regarded as a misspelling, archaism, or regional variant of quantitativi. The term belongs to the broader semantic field pertaining to quantity and measurement.

Etymology and scope: The word derives from Latin quantitas, meaning quantity. Cantitativi, when encountered, is typically linked to expressions that convey amount, extent, or degree. In most contemporary grammars, however, the preferred terminology for this domain is quantificatori or determinativi, with cantitativi appearing mainly in historical texts, dialectal usage, or as an occasional alternative form.

In linguistics: In discussions of quantification, cantitativi may be used to describe words and phrases that express quantity, including numerals (uno, due, tre) and measure or amount expressions (molti, poco, tanto, alcuni). Modern Italian grammar tends to favor quantificatori or determinativi as the standard labels, whereas cantitativi is less common and may signal older or nonstandard usage.

In statistics and data analysis: The term quanti­tativi (or quantitativi in Italian) is standard for data that are numerical and measurable, as opposed to qualitative data. Quantitative data can be discrete or continuous and are analyzed using arithmetic, statistics, and modeling to describe magnitude, trends, and relationships.

See also: quantitativi, quantificatori, dati qualitativi, dati quantitativi.