Etymology Explorer › Medieval Latin

Where does “cifra” come from?

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

cifra (Medieval Latin): zero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero

Definitions

  1. zero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero

Ancestry of “cifra”, step by step

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

Words derived from “cifra”

  • cipher
  • ciphertext
  • cypher
  • encipher
  • encipherment
  • encipherer
  • cipherer
  • cyphertext
  • cipherlike
  • cipherable
  • cipherhood
  • uncypher
  • superencipherment
  • superencipher
  • uncipher
  • telecipher
  • indecifrabile
  • cifrista
  • cifratura
  • indecifrabilità
  • indecifrabilmente
  • deciframento
  • cifra
  • cifrare
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →