Devices, instruments, or people that examine and break down complex information, substances, or data into component parts for study.
From Greek ana- (up, throughout) + lyein (to loosen, dissolve), through French analyser. The concept of 'loosening up' ideas to examine their parts formed the basis for scientific and logical analysis, with the agent suffix -er added to create 'analyzer.'
The Greek roots reveal that analysis was originally conceived as a process of 'loosening' or 'dissolving' complex things to see their components - much like how we might dissolve salt in water to understand its structure. Modern analyzers, from chemical spectrometers to data processors, still follow this ancient principle of breaking wholes into parts.
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