physica

Physica is the Latin term traditionally used for the science now called physics, and it also designates the historical field of natural philosophy concerned with the study of matter, motion, space, time, and the causes of natural change. In classical and medieval contexts, physica referred to the attempt to understand nature through observation, reasoning, and the search for underlying principles that govern physical phenomena.

Historically, numerous works bear the title Physica in Latin, reflecting the scholarly practice of naming natural philosophy treatises in Latin. The most influential association is with Aristotle, whose treatise on the nature of matter, change, and the principles of natural phenomena was transmitted and studied in Latin as Physica. In medieval universities, physica occupied a core position alongside metaphysica and other disciplines, shaping the early curriculum of natural science and influencing later interpretations of physics in the early modern period.

In modern usage, physica survives primarily as the Latin equivalent of physics in historical or classical contexts. It appears in the titles of older treatises and in discussions of the history of science. Contemporary science uses the term physics, while physica, when encountered, usually signals historical, classical, or philological discussions of the field. The term also appears in some Romance-language contexts as a direct translation or scholarly reference to the discipline.