cipher English · revision 1590

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈsaɪfɚ/; /ˈsaɪfə/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|siphre]] or ''cifre'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) [[der|fro|cifre|t=zero]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|la-med|cifra]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|ar|صِفْر|tr=ṣifr|t=empty, zero]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''ṣafira'' “to be empty”.^(AHD)^(Etymonline) The Arabic word is a loan translation of [[sa|शून्य|tr=śūnya|t=empty]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The arithmetical symbol 0 (1399).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word came to Europe with Arabic numerals.^(Etymonline) From “zero” it was extended to any numeral (1530),^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and then to secret writing (1528),^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) because early codes often replaced letters with numbers.^(Etymonline) The figurative sense of a person or thing of no value dates from the 1570s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The verb meant “to do arithmetic” from 1530^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and “to write in code” from the 1560s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1399 – the symbol for zero.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1528 – secret writing.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1530 – any numeral; verb, to do arithmetic.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1563–87 – verb, to write in cipher.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1579 – a person of no importance.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1885 – the key to a cipher.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The symbol 0; [[zero]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A person or thing of no influence or value; a [[nonentity]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A method of secret writing that replaces or rearranges letters; a [[code]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A message written in such a system, or the key to it.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An Arabic numeral.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A design of interwoven letters, such as initials; a [[monogram]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To do [[arithmetic]]; to calculate.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To write in code; to [[encipher]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cipherable]]

+ * [[cipherer]]

+ * [[ciphertext]]

+ * [[decipher]]

+ * [[encipher]]

+ * [[substitution cipher]]

+ * [[transposition cipher]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zero]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}