cifra

Forms

cīfra f (genitive cīfrae); first declension^[1] Medieval spellings include chifra, ciphra, zifra, zifera and cyfre.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “zero”).^{[1][2][4][5][3]} Etymonline glosses the Arabic word as literally “empty, nothing” and calls it a loan translation of Sanskrit शून्य (śūnyá, “empty”).^[6][3] The word came to Europe with the Arabic numerals.^[6] It is a doublet of zēphirum (“zero”).^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The treatises on reckoning explain it as the tenth figure, written o, which signifies no number but only shows the place.^[4][5] Köbler's earliest dated source is Albert of Stade's Troilus (1249), which already uses it figuratively.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

From the sign for nought it came to mean any Arabic figure or numeral.^[2][4][6] It was also used of a person or thing of no worth:^[5][7] Matthew Paris compares a stump that signifies nothing by itself to a cipher, and Wyclif and the sermons of Brinton liken unworthy prelates to ciphers in the algorism.^[5] A letter of about 1448 says that a sentence is worth no more than a cipher without a figure.^[5]

In the 15th and 16th centuries it also meant a secret sign and a text written in code.^[8][9][5] Polish sources speak of writing per cifram (1476),^[8] Andreas Dudith of what is written to him in secret signs or ciphers (1573),^[9] and Polydore Vergil says that every prince and citizen had his own secret signs, commonly called zipherae.^[5] English cipher came from it through Old French in the late 14th century, first as the sign for zero.^[6]

Timeline

• 1249 – Albert of Stade uses it figuratively in his Troilus.^[3][4]
• 2nd half of the 13th century – Nicolaus of Bibra speaks of counting by figures.^[4]
• late 14th century – English cipher is recorded, through Old French.^[6]
• c. 1448 – A letter says a sentence is worth no more than a cipher without a figure.^[5]
• 1476 – A Polish source speaks of writing in cipher.^[8]
• 1573 – Andreas Dudith writes of secret signs or ciphers.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) The sign for zero, nought.^[2][4][5][1]
2. (Medieval Latin) An Arabic numeral, a figure.^[2][4][1]
3. (Medieval Latin, figurative) A person or thing of no worth.^[5][4][7]
4. (New Latin) A secret sign; a cipher, a text in code.^[9][5][8]

Related words

• zēphirum
• English cipher

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
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 d Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
9. ^ a b c d Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de