relatum

Relatum is a term used in logic and philosophy to denote the thing or objects that participate in a relation. In a given relation, the relata are the entities between which the relation holds. For example, in the relation “is taller than,” the two individuals involved are the relata; the relation itself is the standing connection between them.

In formal logic, a relation is typically defined as a set of ordered tuples, and the elements that appear in those tuples are called the relata. The same relation may relate different relata in different situations, such as a parent-child relation that can link various pairs of people. The concept is not limited to persons; relata can be events, objects, properties, or other entities that participate in a relational statement.

Etymologically, relatum is the neuter singular of the Latin participle relatus, from referre “to bring back” or “to relate.” In medieval and early modern logic, the term was used to distinguish the entities related by a given relation from the relation itself.

Relatum figures prominently in debates about the nature of relations. Some theories treat relations as real, primitive connections that exist between relata; others treat relations as merely the abstract connections among independently existing relata, or as summaries of the ways relata stand in certain relations. This distinction underpins ongoing discussions about the ontology of relations, the analysis of relational properties, and the interpretation of mathematical or logical structures.

In short, relatum refers to the elements that a relation ties together, serving as a foundational concept in the study of relational structures.