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isThe dictionaries are on my side, they specifically say the root of period
periodus and this specifically refers to a time interval.
Not all dictionaries say so.
http://216.156.253.178/CENTURY/05/index05.djvu?djvuopts&page=844
Before there was Latin _periodus_ there was Greek
_periodos_ "circuit"
from
_peri_ "around"
_odos_ "way" (same root as "odometer")
giving no reason to restrict the concept to temporal periods.
I think most physicists would be perfectly comfortable saying that in aX
crystal lattice, the atomic positions are given by a periodic function of
and Y.
Nonetheless, I still expect students to work problems in context. If I
ask students for the wavelength of a sound wave I expect them to report a
length,
OK.
time.and if I ask for the period of a sound wave I expect them to report a
Not so clear.
... and if I don't ask a more-specific question I shouldn't expect abeen,
more-specific answer. The same applies to open-ended questions about
physics terminology. The terminology is highly irregular, always has
and probably always will be.