Re: reason for "s = distance traveled"

[twayburn@juno.com (Thomas L Wayburn)]

On Sun, 24 Aug 1997 18:53:24 -0400 Ken Caviness <caviness@southern.edu>
writes:
> Je 09:57 AM 24.08.97 PST, herbgottlieb@juno.com skribis:
>
> > "Inge H. A. Pettersen"  writes:
> > : "What is the reason for using >the letter s to denote distance
> > traveled ?"

> I've
> always assumed it's from the German "Strecke" =3D span, distance.  Any
> confirmation?
>
> Ken
>
>  *-----------------------------------------------------------------*
>  | Ken CAVINESS           Physics at Southern Adventist University |
>  | caviness@southern.edu             ESPERANTO =3D Lingvo internacia 
> |
>  | http://southern.edu/~caviness/     E-o/English/Fran=E7ais/Deutsch 
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This is the best suggestion so far - better than Brian's *secta*, but we
still need to check it out somehow.  Any hints as to where you heard
this, etc.   We need to see it in a book or look for an original use and
hope it reveals itself.   It's a tough problem with not very serious
consequences for failing to solve.   I think it is strange.   But, if
German, maybe Leibnitz or Gauss, who may have written the word near the
first usage of the symbol.   Thanks / Tom, who has gotten hooked by
Inge's student.