kvantificere

Kvantificere is the act of expressing or determining the quantity of something by assigning numerical values or measurable attributes. It turns observations into numbers for analysis, comparison, and communication. The concept is central in science, statistics, economics, linguistics, and philosophy, where precise measurement of magnitude, frequency, or intensity is required.

The Danish term derives from Latin quantus "how much" and the verb quantificare, and is cognate with the English quantify. In everyday and academic use, kvantificere covers both measuring actual quantities and assigning numerical values to properties or variables.

In research, quantification converts qualitative observations into numerical data, enabling statistical analysis, modeling, and comparison. It relies on appropriate instruments, units, and scales of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio) and is subject to error, bias, and uncertainty.

In logic and formal semantics, quantification refers to quantifiers such as the universal (for all) and existential (there exists), which express statements about members of a domain.

Examples include counting participants, measuring intensity, or evaluating relationships with numeric coefficients. While quantification improves clarity and reproducibility, it risks oversimplification if the operationalization is weak or correlations are mistaken for causation.