aleatory

Mar. 8th, 2013 07:30 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (words are sexy)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
aleatory (AYE-lee-uh-tohr-ee, AL-ee-uh-tohr-ee) - adj., of or pertaining to accidental causes, luck, or chance, esp. (Law) depending on a contingent event and (Arts, Music) depending on chance for decisions as to elements of a work.


For that last, anything that incorporates a random-number generator, such as a random or partially random melody. The original sense was more along the lines of luck than pure randomness: it was borrowed around 1690 from Latin āleātōrius, of or pertaining to a gmabler, from āleātor, gambler or dice-player, from ālea, a die.

---L.

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