Where does “cypher” come from?
Cypher comes from Middle English cifre, from Old French cyfre, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic صفر meaning "empty," from Sanskrit शून्य meaning "empty" or "void," from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.
cypher (English): Alternative spelling of cipher
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of cipher
Ancestry of “cypher”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cipher | A numeric character; Any text character; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | cifre | The mathematical symbol or figure 0, representing... |
| 3 | Old French | cyfre | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | cifra | zero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero |
| 5 | Arabic | صِفْر | zero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;... |
| 6 | Sanskrit | शून्य | zero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱówH- | — |