Q-value

noun

A measure of the communicative utility of a human language, computed as the product of the language's centrality and its prevalence.

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Meanings

nounQ-value (plural Q-values)

plural Q-values

  1. A measure of the communicative utility of a human language, computed as the product of the language's centrality and its prevalence.

Origin

From communication value; coined by Dutch sociologist Abram de Swaan.

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Cite this entry
APA

Q-value. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Q-value

MLA

“Q-value.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Q-value. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Q-value,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Q-value.

Source: Q-value on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.