Tuple names

In philosophy, mathematics, and computer science, a tuple is an ordered list of elements. The term tuple originates from the sequence of names for such ordered lists, beginning with single, double, triple, and so forth. The specific name of a tuple depends on the number of elements it contains, typically indicated by a prefix derived from Latin or Greek numbering.

A 1-tuple is commonly called a single, while a 2-tuple is referred to as a double. Beyond these, the names continue as follows: a 3-tuple is a triple, a 4-tuple is a quadruple, a 5-tuple is a quintuple, a 6-tuple is a sextuple, a 7-tuple is a septuple, and so on. The general form for naming these tuples involves adding the suffix "-tuple" to the appropriate numerical prefix.

While the names of tuples are straightforward up to a certain number, they become less commonly used and more complex for higher numbers. For instance, an 8-tuple is an octuple, a 9-tuple is a nonuple, and a 10-tuple is a decuple. Beyond these, terms are rarely used in practice, and the notation "n-tuple" is preferred, where n is the number of elements.

In computer science, tuples are used to group a fixed number of items, often implemented as product types in functional programming languages. Tuples are also utilized in relational databases to describe rows or records. In this context, each row in a table can be considered a tuple, with its elements corresponding to the fields of the row.

Tuples are usually denoted by listing the elements within parentheses "( )", separated by commas; for example, (3, 5, 8) represents a 3-tuple. In some contexts, other delimiters such as square brackets or angle brackets may be used.

The specific names of tuples not only facilitate communication in mathematics and computer science but also help in understanding the structure and properties of these ordered collections. Understanding these names and their origins can provide insight into the nature of sequences and their applications across various fields.

For further reading, see:

• Tuple
• Ordered pair
• Relational database
• Functional programming

Here are some words for tuple names.

Tuple length, ${\displaystyle n}$	Name	Alternative names
0	empty tuple	null tuple / empty sequence / unit
1	single	tuple
2	double	duo
3	triple	trio
4	quadruple	quad / tetrad / quartet
5	quintuple
6	sextuple	hextuple / hexad / half dozen
7	septuple
8	octuple	octa / octet / octad / octo
9	nonuple	nuleip
10	decuple	deka / cent
11	undecuple	hendecuple / hendecad
12	duodecuple	Dozen / dodeca
13	tredecuple	Baker's dozen
14	quattuordecuple	double septuple
15	quindecuple	triple quintuple
16	sexdecuple	quadruple quadruple
17	septendecuple
18	octodecuple	double nonuple
19	novemdecuple
20	vigintuple	quadruple quintuple
30	trigintuple
40	quadragintuple
50	quinquagintuple
60	sexagintuple
70	septuagintuple
80	octogintuple
90	nonagintuple
100	centuple
200	ducentuple
300	trecentuple
400	quadringentuple
500	quingentuple
600	sescentuple
700	septingentuple
800	octingentuple
900	nongentuple
1000	milluple	chiliad
2000	Bimilluple
10000	Decamilluple
1,000,000	Micruple
1,000,000.000	Nanuple
10^12	Picuple
10^15	Femtuple
10^18	Attuple
10^21	Zeptuple
10^24	Yoctuple
10^27	Rontuple
10^30	Quectuple
10^33	Bundectuple
10^36	Biduple
10^39	Triduple
10^42	Quadiduple
10^45	Quintiduple
10^48	Sextiduple
10^51	Septiduple
10^54	Octiduple
10^57	Noniduple
10^60	Voguple

This chart does not show every tuple.