Where does “zero” come from?

zero (Polish) comes from French zéro, from Italian Zero, from New Latin zerum, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.

zero (Polish): zero

Definitions

  1. zero

Ancestry of “zero”, step by step

zero traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French zéro

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchzérozero, nought, oh; zero, nought; zero
2ItalianZerozero
3New Latinzerum—
4Medieval Latinzephirumzero
5Arabicصِفْرzero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;...
6Sanskritशून्यzero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱówH-—

via Polish żer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishżerprey, provender
2Old Polishżyr—
3Proto-Slavicžirъfeed?, fodder?, grease?

Words derived from “zero”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →Every word from Sanskrit शून्य →Every word from Arabic صِفْر →