I'm looking for a word for "how something works."
- Ex: Scientists have only partially grasped the physiological ________ of magnetoreception in animals.
- Ex: The _________ of neural networks in the brain is still poorly understood.
The closest I can find are "mechanisms," "function," "functioning," "operation," "role," but none of these really fit. There is a word in French, "fonctionnement," but I cannot find a direct translation.
I feel like there must be a word for this, but I have not been able to find it.
Best Answer
English loves verbs (it is a verbalizing language), French loves nouns (it is a nominalizing language). Alors:
Ex: Scientists have only partially grasped the physiological ________ of magnetoreception in animals. Ex: The _________ of neural networks in the brain is still poorly understood.
would become:
Ex: Scientists have only partially grasped how the physiology of magnetoreception works in animals.
AND:
Ex: How neural networks work in the brain is still poorly understood.
That's what I would do if I were writing an English text.
[I am a French-to-English translator...if that's any consolation.]