Author: dist (83.102.161.---)
Date: 09-09-04 14:18
[ad. F. zéro (1515 in Hatz.-Darm.) or its source It. zero, for *zefiro, ad. Arab. çifr CIPHER n.]
1. a. The arithmetical figure 0 which denotes ‘nought’: = CIPHER n. 1.
1604 E. G[RIMSTONE] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies VI. ii. 435 They accompted their weekes by thirteene dayes, marking the dayes with a Zero or cipher.
1706 PHILLIPS (ed. Kersey). Zero, a Word sometimes us'd especially among the French, for a Cipher or Nought (0).
Цифра (вот почему ноль - женского рода!) означала ноль вплоть до 17 века.
[a. OF. cyfre, cyffre (mod.F. chiffre) = Sp. Pg. It. cifra, med.L. cifra, cifera, ciphra, f. Arab. çifr the arithmetical symbol ‘zero’ or ‘nought’ (written in Indian and Arabic numeration {arzero}), a subst. use of the adj. çifr ‘empty, void’, f. çafara to be empty. The Arabic was simply a translation of the Sanscrit name {sacu}{umac}nya, literally ‘empty’.]
1. a. An arithmetical symbol or character (o) of no value by itself, but which increases or decreases the value of other figures according to its position. When placed after any figure or series of figures in a whole number it increases the value of that figure or series tenfold, and when placed before a figure in decimal fractions, it decreases its value in the same proportion.
1399 LANGL. Rich. Redeles IV. 53 Than satte summe, as siphre doth in awgrym, That noteth a place, and no thing availith.
c1400 Test. Love II. (1560) 286b/1 Although a sipher in augrim have no might in signification of it selve, yet he yeveth power in signification to other.
1547 J. HARRISON Exhort. Scottes 229 Our presidentes..doo serue but as Cyphers in Algorisme, to fill the place.
a1593 H. SMITH Serm. (1622) 310 You are..like cyphers, which supply a place, but signifie nothing.
1611 SHAKES. Wint. T. I. ii. 6 Like a Cypher (Yet standing in rich place) I multiply With one we thanke you, many thousands moe, That goe before it.
1660 MILTON Free Commw. 429 Only like a great Cypher set to no purpose before a long row of other significant Figures.
1718 J. CHAMBERLAYNE Relig. Philos. (1730) I. xvi. §22 With 39 Noughts or Cyphers following
Наши президенты, как Цифра в Алгоризме, занимают место, но не значат ничего (Смит, 1593).
|
|
