Where does “صفر” come from?

صفر (South Levantine Arabic) comes from Arabic صِفْر, from Sanskrit शून्य, from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH-.

صفر (South Levantine Arabic): zero

Definitions

  1. zero

Ancestry of “صفر”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicصِفْرzero, nothing, empty, void; nothing, cipher;...
2Sanskritशून्यzero; cipher, cypher; blank, deserted
3Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱówH-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱówH- →Every word from Sanskrit शून्य →Every word from Arabic صِفْر →
صفر — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer