Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1600s
Zero
from ṣifr — "empty"
- Meaning
- The concept of nothingness as a numeral.
- Source word
- ṣifr — "empty"
- Route into English
- Arabic → Italian *zefiro* / *zero*. Same root also gave us "cipher." Latin Europe didn't have a zero until the 12th century.
- Arrived
- 1600s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.