Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “zero-grade” come from?

zero-grade (English) comes from English zero, 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-grade (English): In Proto-Indo-European linguistics, an ablaut...

Definitions

  1. In Proto-Indo-European linguistics, an ablaut...

Ancestry of “zero-grade”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishzeroThe cardinal number occurring before one and that...
2Middle Frenchzero—
3ItalianZero—
4New Latinzerum—
5Medieval Latinzephirumzero
6Arabicصِفْرzero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;...
7Sanskritशून्यzero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱówH-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →