abacus

The story

1. Latin · borrowed fromabacī
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromἄβαξ“slab, counting board; board covered with sand for drawing; plate; dice-board”
3. Latin · derived fromabacus
4. Middle English · inherited fromabacus
5. English todayabacus

From Late Middle English abacus, abagus, agabus (“abacus; art of counting with an abacus”), from Latin abacus, abax (“sideboard or table with a slab at the top; slab at the top of a column; counting board, sand table; board for playing games”) (compare Late Latin abacus (“art of arithmetic”)), from Ancient Greek ἄβαξ (ábax, “slab, counting board; board covered with sand for drawing; plate; dice-board”). Doublet of abaque and abac. The plural form abaci is reinforced from Latin abacī.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• attested from c. 1387 A table or tray scattered with sand which was used for calculating or drawing.
• from late 17th c. A device used for performing arithmetical calculations; (rare) a table on which loose counters are placed, or (more commonly) an instrument with beads sliding on rods, or counters in grooves, with one row of beads or counters representing units, the next tens, etc.
• from mid 16th c. The uppermost portion of the capital of a column immediately under the architrave, in some cases a flat oblong or square slab, in others more decorated.
• from late 18th c. A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments for holding bottles, cups, or the like; a kind of buffet, cupboard, or sideboard.