cipher
/ˈsaɪfər/
noun
Origin
Arabic
ṣifr — empty, nothing, zero
Overview
Meaning Now
- A secret or disguised way of writing; a code.
- A person or thing of no importance; a zero or nonentity.
- An archaic term for a mathematical calculation or the use of Arabic numerals.
Literal older meaning
zero or numeral
Language path
Arabic → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
cipher
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word entered Western European languages during the period when Hindu-Arabic numerals were being introduced to replace Roman numerals, fundamentally changing mathematical notation and calculation.
Evolution
- Arabic (Classical)
ṣifr
“zero, empty”
Refers to the concept of emptiness or the numeral zero.
- Old French
cifre
“zero, a digit”
Adopted into Romance languages via trade and mathematical exchange.
- Middle English
cipher
“a numeral, a calculation”
Transitioned from meaning the digit zero to the process of calculating.
- Modern English
cipher
“a code or a nonentity”
Developed the sense of a secret code (cryptography) and the metaphorical sense of a person with no influence.
Connections
Related across languages
French
chiffre
digit or number
Spanish
cifra
digit or figure
Italian
cifra
figure or number
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.