Etymology

vulgar fraction

Today it means: A fraction written in the form of one integer divided by another, non-zero, integer, e.g. ½. Full definition →

New Latin fractiō vulgāris
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. New Latin · calque offractiō vulgāris
  2. English todayvulgar fraction

Calque of New Latin fractiō vulgāris, from Latin vulgāris (“common”), originally in contrast to specialised forms such as “astronomical” (sexagesimal) fractions.

Words from the same roots

New Latinfractiō vulgāris all →

common fraction

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.