Where does “ゼロ” come from?

ゼロ (Japanese) 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-.

ゼロ (Japanese): zero; Used to refer to something measurable being...

Definitions

  1. zero; Used to refer to something measurable being...

Ancestry of “ゼロ”, step by step

ゼロ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English zero

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

via French zéro

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchzérozero, nought, oh; zero, nought; zero

Words derived from “ゼロ

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-Every word from Sanskrit शून्यEvery word from Arabic صِفْر