zephirum

First used in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, borrowed from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing; cipher”). Doublet of cīfra (“cipher”), but unrelated to zephyrus (“west wind”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈzeː.pʰɪ.rũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈd̪͡z̪ɛː.fi.rum]

zēphirum n (genitive zēphirī); second declension

1. (Medieval Latin, mathematics) zero
   • 1202, Leonardo Fibonacci, chapter I, in Liber Abaci‎^[1] (arithmetics treatise):

     Novem figurae indorum hae sunt: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Cum his itaque novem figuris, et cum hoc signo 0, quod arabice zephirum appellatur, scribitur quilibet numerus, […]

     These are the Indian figures: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. With these nine figures, and with this sign 0, which is called zero in Arabic, any number can be written, […]

Second-declension noun (neuter).

• cīfra f

• New Latin: zērum
• → Old Italian: zero
  • → Early Modern Spanish: zero
    • Spanish: cero
  • → English: zero
  • → Middle French: zero
    • French: zéro

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈzɛ.pʰɪ.rũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈd̪͡z̪ɛː.fi.rum]

zephirum m

1. accusative singular of zephirus