zephirum
Latin
[edit]Etymology
[edit]First used in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, borrowed from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing”, “cipher”). Not related to zephyrus.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ze.fi.rum/, [ˈd̪͡z̪ɛːfirum]
Noun
[edit]zephirum n (genitive zephirī); second declension
- (Medieval Latin, mathematics) zero
- 1202, Leonardo Fibonacci, chapter I, in Liber Abaci[1] (arithmetics treatise):
- Novem figurae indorum hae sunt: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Cum his itaque novem figuris, et cum hoc signo 0, quod arabice zephirum appellatur, scribitur quilibet numerus, […]
- These are the Indian figures: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. With these nine figures, and with this sign 0, which is called zero in Arabic, any number can be written, […]
Declension
[edit]Second-declension noun (neuter).
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | zephirum | zephira |
| genitive | zephirī | zephirōrum |
| dative | zephirō | zephirīs |
| accusative | zephirum | zephira |
| ablative | zephirō | zephirīs |
| vocative | zephirum | zephira |
Related terms
[edit]- cifra f
Descendants
[edit]- New Latin: zerum
Categories:
- Latin terms borrowed from Arabic
- Latin terms derived from Arabic
- Latin 3-syllable words
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- Medieval Latin
- la:Mathematics
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