Literary notes about Elementary (AI summary)
In literature the term "elementary" frequently serves as a shorthand for that which is basic or foundational, whether referring to education, scientific constructs, or deeper philosophical principles. In writings on pedagogy and learning, it denotes the rudimentary stages of education or the simplest forms of mathematical thought, as illustrated in texts on elementary geometry and training [1, 2, 3, 4]. At the same time, sociological and philosophical works invoke "elementary" to signal the core, irreducible forces that form the basis of larger systems—from primary social forces to the basic elements of religious life [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Even in narrative fiction, the term is employed to imply an unmistakable clarity or simplicity, famously captured in a detective’s remark that something is "elementary, my dear Watson" [10]. Thus, across a wide range of disciplines, "elementary" is used to evoke the essential, uncomplicated building blocks beneath more complex layers of thought and experience.
- Every person who has had experience in tuition knows well the importance of such examinations in teaching Elementary Geometry.
— from The First Six Books of the Elements of Euclid by John Casey and Euclid - Thus:— Book I gives a sketch of the elementary training of the child from the time he leaves the nursery.
— from Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Edmund Luce - She knew she would never be much of a success as an elementary school teacher.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - Sometimes a very simple question in elementary arithmetic will cause a good deal of perplexity.
— from Amusements in Mathematics by Henry Ernest Dudeney - This was a step in the direction of a definition of the elementary social forces.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - This order represented a progression from the more elementary to the more complex.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - Here, then, again, in these materials do we find other elementary symbols.
— from The symbolism of Freemasonry : by Albert Gallatin Mackey - Undoubtedly we can only touch very elementary facts by this method.
— from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim - Back of every other form of control—ceremonial, public opinion, or law—there is always this interaction of the elementary social forces.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - Elementary, my dear Watson—the smell of onions is unmistakable.”
— from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
