Where does “zero” come from?
zero (English) comes from Middle French zero, from Italian Zero, from New Latin zerum, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.
zero (English): The cardinal number occurring before one and that...
Definitions
- The cardinal number occurring before one and that...
Ancestry of “zero”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | zero | — |
| 2 | Italian | Zero | — |
| 3 | New Latin | zerum | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | zephirum | zero |
| 5 | Arabic | صِفْر | zero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;... |
| 6 | Sanskrit | शून्य | zero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱówH- | — |
Words derived from “zero”