Plural of continuum; sequences or ranges of things that change gradually without clear dividing lines.
Latin plural of continuum, from continuus meaning 'continuous' or 'connected.' Continuum itself derives from contingere via the sense of 'things holding together.' The -a ending marks the Latin neuter plural.
Color isn't just 'red' or 'blue'—it exists on a continua of wavelengths, and your brain has to draw arbitrary lines. Same with musical pitch, temperature, and even social traits like extroversion—the boundaries we draw are human constructs imposed on smooth gradients.
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