In that sense, the theory sort of came full circle, as string theory proposes a "fabric" of space (consisting of strings itself) embedded either in higher dimensions, or a "primeval" realm that is not space. That is sort of like what the "aether" would be.
This is still looking a the function order in terms of relative "strengths". That's what would suggest "quantifying" in the first place.
But the order is really about what the ego most identifies with (based on the emotional subsystems, where the person feels most in control when using the function), and it will be one function or the other, and one orientation or the other.
The preference itself might be stronger or weaker, where the person might seem to be an ambivert, and/or have a "strong", early-developing auxiliary. If you figure the function and orientation separately, then you could see where they might even waft between Ne, Ni, Te and Ti.