Where does “arithmetica” come from?
arithmetica (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek ἀριθμητική, from Ancient Greek ἀριθμός, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ri-dʰh₁-mó-s, from Proto-Indo-European h₂rey-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
Ancestry of “arithmetica”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἀριθμητική | counting |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀριθμός | number; numbering, counting; arithmetic |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ri-dʰh₁-mó-s | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂rey- | to count, count out; to arrange |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |