Where does “algebra” come from?
algebra (Polish) comes from Russian а́лгебра, from Medieval Latin algebraica, from Arabic الْجَبْر, from Latin algebra, from Arabic جبر, from Arabic جَبَرَ — to set a broken bone; to treat kindly.
algebra (Polish): algebra
Ancestry of “algebra”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | а́лгебра | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | algebraica | nominative feminine singular of algebraicus;... |
| 3 | Arabic | الْجَبْر | — |
| 4 | Latin | algebra | algebra |
| 5 | Arabic | جبر | to set; to restore; to force, to compel |
| 6 | Arabic | جَبَرَ | to set a broken bone; to treat kindly |