What does notational mean?
Notational means relating to notation: the use of symbols, signs, scores, or other conventional marks to represent language, music, movement, or information. It describes the conventions and visual systems through which people record and communicate complex material. A “notational system,” for example, may represent the notes and rhythms of a musical passage, while “notational differences” may distinguish one regional system of writing from another. The term is especially common in musicology, linguistics, phonetics, and other fields concerned with structured representation. It is more precise than simply saying that something is “written down,” because it emphasizes the relationship between the marks and what they signify. Notational is also occasionally used more broadly of symbolic or representational practices. Its usefulness lies in identifying a feature of a system rather than the system itself: notation is the arrangement of signs, while notational describes what relates to that arrangement.
adjectiveRelating to notation or to the use of symbols, signs, or conventional marks to represent words, sounds, musical notes, or other information.
- Relating to notation or to the representation of sounds, words, musical passages, or other information by symbols and conventional signs.
"The editor devised a concise notational system for recording the percussion patterns."
"The manuscript contains a distinctive notational device for indicating changes in tempo."
"Her notational approach makes complex rhythmic patterns easier for performers to read."
From marking the page to encoding a symphony: “notational” covers the human habit of turning sounds and rhythms into visible symbols.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does notational come from?
Notational was formed within English from notation and the suffix -al, meaning “relating to.” Notation comes from Latin notatio, a noun of action or result derived from notare, “to mark” or “to note.” The same Latin root also underlies notate and notator, as well as cognates in other European languages. Its development reflects the long-standing practice of assigning conventional written signs to sounds, words, and musical performances.
Related word forms
How notational is actually used
The adjective is most often used in specialist discussions of music, linguistics, phonetics, mathematics, and systems of written representation. It is more formal and technical than descriptive alternatives such as “using symbols.”
Easily confused with notational
Notation is the system or set of symbols itself, whereas notational describes something relating to or characteristic of such a system.