zephirum

Latin

Etymology

First used in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, borrowed from Arabic صِفْر‎ (ṣifr, “nothing”, “cipher”). Not related to zephyrus.

Pronunciation

Noun

zephirum n (genitive zephirī); second declension

  1. (Medieval Latin, mathematics) zero
    • 1202, Leonardo Fibonacci, chapter I, in 'Liber Abaci':
      Cum his itaque novem figuris, et cum hoc signo 0, quod arabice zephirum appellatur, scribitur quilibet numerus, […]
      With these nine figures, and with this sign 0, which is called zero in Arabic, any number can be written, […]

Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative zephirum zephira
Genitive zephirī zephirōrum
Dative zephirō zephirīs
Accusative zephirum zephira
Ablative zephirō zephirīs
Vocative zephirum zephira

Descendants
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