ratio of word probabilities predicted from brain for arch and coat

close this window

arch

coat

top 10 words in brain distribution (in article):
build state world time century term building park refer form
top 10 words in brain distribution (in article):
wear woman design clothe century type dress term fashion modern
top 10 words in brain distribution (not in article):
city house store street town home tea Unite bus people
top 10 words in brain distribution (not in article):
horse power train station line signal locomotive radio saddle steam
times more probable under arch 30 20 10 6 4 2.5 1.25 1 1.25 2.5 4 6 10 20 30 times more probable under coat
(words not in the model)
An arch'" is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight (e.g. a doorway in a stone wall). Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture, but their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures. History. Arches were known by the Mesopotamian, Urartian, Harappan, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Assyrian civilizations, but their use was infrequent and mostly confined to underground structures such as drains where the problem of lateral thrust is greatly diminished. The ancient Romans learned the arch from the Etruscans, refined it and were the first builders to tap its full potential for above ground buildings: "The Romans were the first builders in Europe, perhaps the first in the world, fully to appreciate the advantages of the arch, the vault and the dome." Throughout the Roman empire, their engineers erected arch structures such as bridges, aqueducts, and gates. They also introduced the triumphal arch as a military monument. Vaults began to be used for roofing large interior spaces such as halls and temples, a function which was also assumed by domed structures from the 1st century BC onwards. The Roman arch is semicircular, and built from an odd number of arch bricks (called "voussoirs"). An odd number of bricks is required for there to be a "capstone" or "keystone", the topmost stone in the arch. The Roman arch's shape is the simplest to build, but not the strongest. There is a tendency for the sides to bulge outwards, which must be counteracted by an added weight of masonry to push them inwards. The Romans used this type of semicircular arch freely in many of their secular structures such as aqueducts, palaces and amphitheaters. The semicircular arch was followed in Europe by the pointed Gothic arch or ogive (derived from the Islamic pointed arch in Moorish Spain), whose centreline more closely followed the forces of compression and which was therefore stronger. The semicircular arch can be flattened to make an elliptical arch as in the Ponte Santa Trinita. The parabolic and catenary arches are now known to be the theoretically strongest forms. Parabolic arches were introduced in construction by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, who admired the structural system of Gothic style, but for the buttresses, which he termed “architectural crutches”. The catenary and parabolic arches carry all horizontal thrust to the foundation and so do not need additional elements. The horseshoe arch is based on the semicircular arch, but its lower ends are extended further round the circle until they start to converge. The first examples known are carved into rock in India in the first century AD, while the first known built horseshoe arches are known from Aksum (modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea) from around the 3rd–4th century, around the same time as the earliest contemporary examples in Syria, suggesting either an Aksumite or Syrian origin for the type of arch. It was used in Spanish Visigothic architecture, Islamic architecture and mudéjar architecture, as in the Great Mosque of Damascus and in later Moorish buildings. It was used for decoration rather than for strength. Across the ocean in Mexico and Central America, Mesoamerican civilizations created various types of corbelled arches, such as with the interior tunnels in the Great Pyramid of Cholula and the many styles of corbelled arches built by the Mayan civilization. In Peru, the Inca civilization used a trapezoidal arch in their architecture. The arch is still used today in some modern structures such as bridges. Construction. An arch requires all of its elements to hold it together, raising the question of how an arch is constructed. One answer is to build a frame (historically, of wood) which exactly follows the form of the underside of the arch. This is known as a centre or centring. The voussoirs are laid on it until the arch is complete and self-supporting. For an arch higher than head height, scaffolding would in any case be required by the builders, A coat'" is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth, protection or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of these. Other possible ornaments include collars and shoulder straps. History of the word 'coat'. The Persians, based in what is now Iran, introduced two garments to the history of clothing: trousers and seamed fitted coats. "Coat" is one of the earliest clothing category words in English, attested as far back as the early Middle Ages. ("See also" Clothing terminology.) An early use of "coat" in English is coat of mail (chainmail), a tunic-like garment of metal rings, usually knee- or mid-calf length. The medieval and renaissance coat (generally spelled "cote" by costume historians) is a midlength, sleeved men's outer garment, fitted to the waist and buttoned up the front, with a full skirt: in its essentials, not unlike the modern coat. By the eighteenth century, overcoats had begun to supplant capes and cloaks as outer wear, and by the mid-twentieth century the terms "jacket" and "coat" became confused for recent styles; the difference in use is still maintained for older garments. Coats, Jackets and Overcoats. In the early nineteenth century, coats were divided into under-coats and overcoats. The term under-coat is now archaic but denoted the fact that the expression "coat" could be both the outermost layer for outdoor wear (overcoat) or the coat worn under that (under-coat). However, the term "coat" is increasingly beginning to denote just the overcoat rather than the under-coat. The older usage of the word "coat" can still be found in the expression "to wear a coat and tie", which does not mean that wearer has on an overcoat. Nor do the terms "tailcoat" or "morning coat" denote types of overcoat. Indeed, an overcoat may be worn over the top of a tailcoat. In tailoring circles, the tailor who makes all types of coats is called a "coat maker". Similarly, in both British and American English, the term "sports coat" is used to denote a type of jacket not worn as outerwear (overcoat). The term "jacket" is a traditional term usually used to refer to a specific type of short under-coat. Typical modern jackets extend only to the upper thigh in length, whereas older coats such as tailcoats are usually of knee length. The modern jacket worn with a suit is traditionally called a "lounge coat" (or a "lounge jacket") in British English and a "sack coat" in American English. The American English term is rarely used today. Traditionally, all men dressed in a "coat and tie", although this has become gradually less widespread since around the 1960s. Because the basic pattern for the stroller (black jacket worn with striped trousers in British English) and dinner jacket (tuxedo in American English) are the same as lounge coats, tailors traditionally call both of these special types of jackets a "coat". An overcoat is a long coat (at least mid-calf) designed to be worn as the outermost garment worn as outdoor wear; while this use is still maintained in some places, particularly in Britain, elsewhere the term "coat" is commonly used mainly denote only the overcoat, and not the under-coat. A "topcoat" is a slightly shorter overcoat, if any distinction is to be made. Overcoats worn over the top of knee length coats (under-coats) such as frock coats, dress coats, and morning coats are cut to be a little longer than the under-coat so as to completely cover it, as well as being large enough to accommodate the coat underneath. Coats of the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of these styles are still worn. Note that for this period, only coats of the under-coat variety are listed, and overcoats are excluded. Modern coats. The terms "coat" and "jacket" are used variously around the world, and we treat modern clothes as jackets. References. General: Picken, Mary Brooks: "The Fashion Dictionary", Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2)