From Egyptian scribes to Mesopotamian clay tablets, there is global evidence that organized math has been around for thousands of years. The word “mathematic”stems from the Greek word manthanein, meaning "to learn," which is fittingly broad for such a far-reaching discipline. There are plenty of other math terms with deep-rooted history, so read on to learn more about the words behind the numbers.
Arithmetic is Greek
Similar to “mathematic,” “arithmetic” stems from Greek, and from from the root arithmos, meaning "number or counting." Arithmetic is the branch of mathematics that describes traditional number operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Its modern usage has been around since the 13th century.
Calculus Comes from Pebbles
In Latin, calculus meant a pebble used for counting (calx meant “limestone”). The modern version of calculus came about in the 17th century when scientists Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibnitz independently developed the principles of calculus as the branch of mathematics that deals with rates of change.
A Musical Mean
The modern use of “mean” was derived from music. Around 1300, the term became a way to describe a tone in between two other tones. It stemmed from the Latin root medias, meaning “the middle.” Sometime during the mid 15th century, it began its usage as a math word to describe the average of a group of numbers.
The Pythagorean Theorem Might be Misnamed
This familiar equation, a² + b² = c², finds the lengths of the sides of a right triangle. The Pythagorean Theorem is named after sixth century BCE Greek philosopher Pythagoras, although he did not actually invent the equation. Babylonian tablets from as far back as 1900 to 1600 BCE show parts of the theorem, and it is mentioned in Vedic (an early form of Sanskrit) texts written between 800 and 400 BCE. While Pythagoras may not have been the first to discover the theorem, it is still credited to the philosopher due to his extensive work on the topic.
Algebra is Arabic
From Arabic, algebra was first named in a ninth-century book called Al-Jabr, by Baghdad mathemetician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. The word al-jabr meant the “reunion of broken parts,” which, in a broad sense, is what algebra does through numbers and symbols. The book was translated into Latin in the 12th century, thus introducing Arabic numerals to the Western World. Today, the book's English version is called The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing.
Geometry Means ‘Measure of Earth’
From its Greek origin, geometria essentially means “the measuring of the Earth.” It comes from gē meaning “earth or land,” and metria, or, “the measuring of.” In more modern use, géométrie was adopted in the French language around the 12th century.
A Theorem is a Spectacle
The word “theorem” itself comes from the Greek word theorema, meaning “a spectacle or sight.” Famed Greek mathematician Euclid used the term in the third century BCE to describe a proposition to be proved, but in a literal sense it meant “that which is looked at.” The usage has stuck around for centuries, but became popular in math and science in the 1550s with the French word théorème.
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