algorismus

Forms

algorismus m (genitive algorismī); second declension^[1] Medieval spellings include alchorismus, algarismus and augorismus.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy), the surname of the 9th-century mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, who taught reckoning with the Indian numerals.^[1][2][4] Etymonline calls the Latin form a mangled transliteration of the name, which means “native of Khwarazm”.^[5]

Medieval writers explained the word in other ways.^[4][3] A 12th-century treatise says that the art was named after its inventor, but reports others who took it from a word for white sand;^[4] an English commentary of about 1410 derives it from a King Algor, or from Greek-looking ⟨algos⟩ “art” and ⟨rodos⟩ “number”.^[3] Du Cange records the later reading algorithmus, explained as the Arabic article with Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is an anonymous 12th-century treatise on reckoning from Salem, in which the art is called by this name and its first operation is addition.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The word named arithmetic done with the Indian (Arabic) figures, as against reckoning on the abacus: Albert the Great sets the science of algorismus beside that of the abacus,^[4] and Ockham compares a word that means nothing alone to the cipher in algorismus, which signifies nothing by itself but gives value to another figure.^[3] It also became the title of textbooks, such as Sacrobosco's Algorismus vulgaris,^[3] and Czech and Polish sources use it for such a book as well as for the art.^[7][8] In 1409 the Oxford statutes required a bachelor to have heard the algorismus of whole numbers.^[3]

Middle English took it as augrym,^[1][3] and Old French as algorisme, later reshaped in French, under the influence of Greek arithmos, into the form that gave English algorithm in the 1690s.^[5]

Timeline

• 12th century – An anonymous treatise from Salem names the art of reckoning with Indian numerals algorismus.^[2][4]
• c. 1225 – Sacrobosco's Algorismus vulgaris is written.^[3]
• 1409 – The Oxford statutes require bachelors to have studied it.^[3]
• 1690s – English algorithm goes back to it through French.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. Arithmetic with Arabic numerals; the art of reckoning.^[4][9][3]
2. A textbook of this art.^[7][8][4]
3. The name of the Arab scholar who taught it.^[8]

Related words

• algebra
• English algorithm
• English algorism

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
7. ^ a b Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
8. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill