Where does “Zero” come from?
Zero (Italian) comes from New Latin zerum, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.
Ancestry of “Zero”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | New Latin | zerum | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | zephirum | zero |
| 3 | Arabic | صِفْر | zero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;... |
| 4 | Sanskrit | शून्य | zero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱówH- | — |