Where does “algebra” come from?
algebra (New Latin) comes from Arabic جبر, from Arabic جَبَرَ — to set a broken bone; to treat kindly.
Ancestry of “algebra”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Arabic | جبر | to set; to restore; to force, to compel |
| 2 | Arabic | جَبَرَ | to set a broken bone; to treat kindly |