Where does “cifre” come from?
cifre (Middle English) comes from Old French cyfre, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.
cifre (Middle English): The mathematical symbol or figure 0, representing...
Definitions
- The mathematical symbol or figure 0, representing...
Ancestry of “cifre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | cyfre | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | cifra | zero, numeral; numeral, cipher; zero |
| 3 | Arabic | صِفْر | zero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;... |
| 4 | Sanskrit | शून्य | zero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱówH- | — |
Words derived from “cifre”