singularity

(noun)

A proposed point in the technological future at which artificial intelligences become capable of augmenting and improving themselves, leading to an explosive growth in intelligence.

Related Terms

Examples of singularity in the following topics:

  • Number

    • The Latin has two Numbers,—the Singular and Plural.
    • The Singular denotes one object, the Plural, more than one.

  • Subject-Verb Agreement

    • If only one person is in the subject, it's singular.
    • Collective nouns (which refer to a group of beings or things as a single unit) are singular, and so take singular verbs.
    • They take a singular verb form.
    • Amounts take singular verbs because they are treated as units, which are singular nouns.
    • Sums and products take singular verbs in mathematical equations.

  • Second Declension

    • Proper names in -ius regularly form the Genitive Singular in -ī (instead of -iī), and the Vocative Singular in -ī (for -ie); as Vergílī, of Virgil, or O Virgil (instead of Vergiliī, Vergilie).
    • Fīlius forms the Vocative Singular in -ī (for -ie); viz. fīlī, O son!
    • Deus, god, lacks the Vocative Singular.
    • The Locative Singular ends in -ī; as, Corinthī, at Corinth.
    • Nouns in -os sometimes form the Accusative Singular in -um instead of -on; as, Dēlum, Delos.

  • The Five Declensions

    • There are five Declensions in Latin, distinguished from each other by the final letter of the Stem, and also by the Termination of the Genitive Singular, as follows:—
    • The Vocative is regularly like the Nominative, except in the singular of nouns in -us of the Second Declension.

  • Third Declension

    • Adjectives of three terminations in the Nominative Singular,—one for each gender.
    • With the exception of Comparatives, and a few other words mentioned below in § 70, 1, all Adjectives of the Third Declension follow the inflection of ĭ-stems; i.e. they have the Ablative Singular in -ī, the Genitive Plural in-ium, the Accusative Plural in -īs (as well as -ēs) in the Masculine and Feminine, and the Nominative and Accusative Plural in -ia in Neuters.
    • In the Nominative Singular of Adjectives of this class the Feminine form is sometimes used for the Masculine.
    • Ablative Singular in -e, Genitive Plural in -um, Nominative Plural Neuter in -a, and Accusative Plural Masculine and Feminine in -ēs only.
    • Inops, needy, and memor, mindful, have Ablative Singular inopī, memorī, but Genitive Plural inopum, memorum.

  • Gender

    • Grammatical gender is determined not by sex, but by the general signification of the word, or the ending of its Nominative Singular.
    • By grammatical gender, nouns denoting things or qualities are often Masculine or Feminine, simply by virtue of their signification or the ending of the Nominative Singular.
    • The gender of other nouns is determined by the ending of the Nominative Singular.[11]
    • —Names of animals usually have grammatical gender, according to the ending of the Nominative Singular, but the one form may designate either the male or female; as, ānser, m., goose or gander.

  • Defective Nouns

    • Nouns used in the Singular only.2.
    • Many nouns, from the nature of their signification, are regularly used in the Singular only.
    • Several nouns have the entire Singular of one declension, while the Plural is of another; as,—
    • Other nouns have one gender in the Singular, another in the Plural; as,—
    • The following nouns have one meaning in the Singular, and another in the Plural:—

  • Third Declension

    • These end in the Nominative Singular in -e, -al, and -ar.
    • Proper names in -e form the Ablative Singular in -e; as, Sōracte, Mt.
    • Their true character as Consonant-Stems, however, is shown by the fact that they never take -im in the Accusative Singular, or -ī in the Ablative Singular.
    • Supellex, supellectilis, f., furniture, is confined to the Singular.
    • The ending -ă in the Accusative Singular; as, aetheră, aether; Salamīnă, Salamis.

  • First Declension

    • Pure Latin nouns of the First Declension regularly end, in the Nominative Singular, in -ă, weakened from -ā, and are of the Feminine Gender.
    • a) An old form of the Genitive Singular in -ās is preserved in the combination pater familiās, father of a family; also in māter familiās, fīlius familiās, fīlia familiās.
    • c) The Locative Singular ends in -ae; as, Rōmae, at Rome.
    • In the Singular they are declined as follows:—

  • Fourth Declension

    • Nouns in -us, particularly in early Latin, often form the Genitive Singular in -ī, following the analogy of nouns in -us of the Second Declension; as, senātī, ōrnātī.
    • Nouns in -us sometimes have -ū in the Dative Singular, instead of -uī; as, frūctū (for frūctuī).