Where does “cifra” come from?
cifra (Old Czech) comes from German Ziffer, from Middle High German zifer, from Old French cifre, from Latin cifra, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.
Ancestry of “cifra”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Ziffer | digit, numeral; a numbered division unit written... |
| 2 | Middle High German | zifer | digit |
| 3 | Old French | cifre | — |
| 4 | Latin | cifra | numeral, cipher; zero |
| 5 | Arabic | صِفْر | zero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;... |
| 6 | Sanskrit | शून्य | zero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱówH- | — |