Etymology Explorer › Italian

Where does “cifra” come from?

cifra (Italian) comes from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.

cifra (Italian): figure, numeral; sum; code, cipher

Definitions

  1. figure, numeral; sum; code, cipher

Ancestry of “cifra”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latincifrazero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero
2Arabicصِفْرzero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;...
3Sanskritशून्यzero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱówH-—

Words derived from “cifra”

  • cifra
  • deciframento
  • indecifrabilità
  • decifrare
  • cifrare
  • indecifrabilmente
  • indecifrabile
  • decifrabile
  • cifratura
  • cifrista
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →