zero

The story

1. Sanskrit · derived fromशून्य“void; nothingness”
2. Arabic · derived fromصِفْر“nothing; cipher”
3. Medieval Latin · derived fromzēphirum
4. Old Italian · borrowed fromzero
5. Middle French · borrowed fromzero
6. Early Modern Spanish · borrowed fromzero
7. English todayzero

Collectively borrowed from Early Modern Spanish zero, Middle French zero, and (their etymon) Old Italian zero, from Medieval Latin zēphirum, from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing; cipher”), itself calqued from Sanskrit शून्य (śūnyá, “void; nothingness”). Doublet of cipher and chiffre. Cognate with Spanish cero and French zéro.

Words from the same roots