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B2  ·  50 words

Statistics and numbers in Italian

Share, mean, sample, spread — the words without which a number in a text cannot be placed.

Practise this list

From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

Thirtieth on this list is la ponderazione, the weighting, and its English relative has walked away from the scales. Both go back to Latin pondus, a weight, itself built on pendere, to hang, because the Roman way of weighing a thing was to hang it from a balance. Italian kept the object. Ponderare is what a statistician does when some answers are made to count for more than others, and la media ponderata, the first entry on this page, is the result; un giudizio ponderato exists too, but the picture of the scales is never far away. English took the same root and kept only the picture. To « ponder » is to turn something over in the mind and never to attach a number to it, and « ponderous » has drifted further still, to whatever is heavy and slow on its feet. There is no ordinary English noun « ponderation »; what this entry names is a « weighting », built on the plain « weigh ». So a reader who meets ponderare i dati and thinks of reflection has the right root and the wrong hand: one language is holding a balance, the other a thought.

The words

Verb (2)

raddoppiareto doubleVerbB2
La cifra è raddoppiata dall’inizio.The figure has doubled since the start.
ristagnareto stagnateVerbB2
Le vendite ristagnano dall’estate.Sales have been stagnating since the summer.

Adjective (3)

Grammar for these: Adjective agreement · Where the adjective stands

rappresentativorepresentativeAdjectiveB2
Il campione non è rappresentativo del paese.The sample is not representative of the country.
significativosignificantAdjectiveB2
Lo scarto non è significativo.The gap is not significant.
gradualegradualAdjectiveB2
Il cambiamento è graduale, non brusco.The change is gradual, not abrupt.

Phrase (7)

costante nel tempounchanging over timePhraseB2
Il ritmo è rimasto costante nel tempo.The pace has stayed unchanging over time.
aumentare della metàto rise by halfPhraseB2
Il numero è aumentato della metà in cinque anni.The number has risen by half in five years.
rapportare ato relate toPhraseB2
Bisogna rapportare questa cifra al numero di abitanti.This figure has to be related to the number of inhabitants.
in mediaon averagePhraseB2
In media fanno due al giorno.On average that is two a day.
su base annuaon an annual basisPhraseB2
Su base annua la differenza è netta.On an annual basis the difference is clear.
a titolo di confrontoby way of comparisonPhraseB2
A titolo di confronto, la regione vicina ne ha il doppio.By way of comparison, the neighbouring region has twice as many.
a parità di condizioniall other things being equalPhraseB2
A parità di condizioni l’effetto sparisce.All other things being equal, the effect disappears.

Noun (f) (22)

Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno

la media ponderatathe weighted meanNoun (f)B2
La media ponderata nasconde gli estremi.The weighted mean hides the extremes.
la deviazione standardthe standard deviationNoun (f)B2
La deviazione standard dice quanto i valori si allontanano.The standard deviation says how far the values stray.
la dispersionethe dispersionNoun (f)B2
La dispersione dice più della media.The dispersion says more than the mean does.
la popolazione statisticathe statistical populationNoun (f)B2
La popolazione statistica è definita male.The statistical population is badly defined.
la correlazionethe correlationNoun (f)B2
Una correlazione non è una causa.A correlation is not a cause.
la causalitàcausalityNoun (f)B2
La causalità richiede più di un grafico.Causality calls for more than a chart.
la variabilethe variableNoun (f)B2
Una variabile è stata dimenticata nel modello.A variable was left out of the model.
la percentuale sul totalethe share of the totalNoun (f)B2
La percentuale sul totale resta stabile.The share of the total stays steady.
la tendenzathe trendNoun (f)B2
La tendenza si legge su dieci anni, non su un mese.The trend is read over ten years, not over one month.
la curvathe curveNoun (f)B2
La curva si appiattisce a destra.The curve flattens out on the right.
la scala logaritmicathe logarithmic scaleNoun (f)B2
La scala logaritmica cambia tutta la lettura.The logarithmic scale changes the whole reading.
la frequenza assolutathe absolute frequencyNoun (f)B2
La frequenza assoluta cala con l’età.The absolute frequency falls with age.
la percentualethe percentageNoun (f)B2
La percentuale è data senza base di calcolo.The percentage is given with no base to work it out on.
la numerositàthe number of casesNoun (f)B2
La numerosità è troppo bassa per concludere.The number of cases is too low to draw a conclusion.
la distorsione di selezionethe selection biasNoun (f)B2
La distorsione di selezione falsa il risultato fin dall’inizio.Selection bias distorts the result from the outset.
la ponderazionethe weightingNoun (f)B2
La ponderazione corregge l’eccesso di città.The weighting corrects the excess of city dwellers.
la serie storicathe time seriesNoun (f)B2
La serie storica si interrompe nel duemiladieci.The time series breaks off in two thousand and ten.
la previsionethe forecastNoun (f)B2
La previsione presuppone che nulla cambi.The forecast assumes that nothing changes.
la stimathe estimateNoun (f)B2
La stima è data a meno del cinque per cento.The estimate is given to within five per cent.
la misurazione ripetutathe repeated measurementNoun (f)B2
La misurazione ripetuta riduce il caso.Repeated measurement reduces chance.
l’indagine campionariathe sample surveyNoun (f)B2
L’indagine campionaria copre cinque regioni.The sample survey covers five regions.
la soglia di significativitàthe significance thresholdNoun (f)B2
Il risultato supera di poco la soglia di significatività.The result clears the significance threshold by a whisker.

Noun (m) (16)

Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno

il valore centralethe medianNoun (m)B2
Il valore centrale resiste meglio ai valori estremi.The median stands up better to extreme values.
il campione statisticothe statistical sampleNoun (m)B2
Il campione statistico conta mille persone.The statistical sample numbers a thousand people.
l’istituto demoscopicothe polling instituteNoun (m)B2
L’istituto demoscopico ha lavorato in una sola giornata.The polling institute worked in a single day.
il margine di errorethe margin of errorNoun (m)B2
Il margine di errore supera lo scarto annunciato.The margin of error is larger than the gap announced.
l’intervallo di confidenzathe confidence intervalNoun (m)B2
L’intervallo di confidenza contiene ancora lo zero.The confidence interval still contains zero.
il tassothe rateNoun (m)B2
Il tasso si calcola su dodici mesi.The rate is worked out over twelve months.
il punto percentualethe percentage pointNoun (m)B2
La quota è passata da venti a venticinque, cioè cinque punti percentuali.The share went from twenty to twenty-five, that is five percentage points.
l’incrementothe growthNoun (m)B2
L’incremento si è fermato in primavera.The growth stopped in the spring.
il calothe fallNoun (m)B2
Il calo riguarda soprattutto i piccoli comuni.The fall affects small municipalities above all.
il graficothe chartNoun (m)B2
Il grafico parte da ottanta, non da zero.The chart starts at eighty, not at zero.
l’assethe axisNoun (m)B2
L’asse verticale non è etichettato.The vertical axis is not labelled.
il valore anomalothe outlierNoun (m)B2
Un solo valore anomalo sposta la media.A single outlier shifts the mean.
l’arrotondamentothe roundingNoun (m)B2
L’arrotondamento spiega la somma di centouno.The rounding explains the total of a hundred and one.
l’ordine di grandezzathe order of magnitudeNoun (m)B2
L’ordine di grandezza basta per decidere.The order of magnitude is enough to decide.
il questionariothe questionnaireNoun (m)B2
Il questionario orienta già la risposta.The questionnaire already steers the answer.
il dato grezzothe raw figureNoun (m)B2
I dati grezzi non vengono pubblicati.The raw figures are not published.

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