Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cipherer” come from?

cipherer (English) comes from English cipher, from Middle English cifre, from Old French cyfre, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.

cipherer (English): One who ciphers

Definitions

  1. One who ciphers

Ancestry of “cipherer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcipherA numeric character; Any text character; A...
2Middle EnglishcifreThe mathematical symbol or figure 0, representing...
3Old Frenchcyfre—
4Medieval Latincifrazero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero
5Arabicصِفْرzero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;...
6Sanskritशून्यzero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱówH-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →