postupn

Postupn is a term encountered in certain Slavic-language scholarly contexts to denote phenomena that unfold gradually or in a stepwise fashion. It is not widely standardized and its exact meaning can vary by author or field.

Etymology and forms: The word derives from the Slavic root postup meaning "progress" or "advancement," with adjectival formations such as postupný in Czech and Slovak meaning "gradual" or "progressive." The form "postupn" sometimes appears in transliterations or as a coined term in English-language texts.

In linguistics and anthropology: Some authors use postupn to describe diffusion of linguistic innovations or social practices through a population in a chain or wave-like manner, as opposed to sudden, uniform change.

In mathematics and computer science: There is no standard definition; when used, postupn may refer to a discrete, stepwise process or a function that changes value in small increments across iterations, akin to a step function or piecewise process.

See also: Related concepts include gradualism, step function, sequential processes, and diffusion of innovations.