Math Word Origins

Math Word Origins

By Antawne Temple

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​Curious about where certain math words come from? Here are the origins of some of the words used in our various lessons:

​Math Word Origins

​Percent is from the Latin word per centum.

Which was used as an abbreviation and means “by the hundred”. It was later abbreviated per cent. Using the period punctuation, but eventually the two words came together as one and the period was dropped.

Graph, the shortened version of the word graphic, is implied in the word graphical from the Latin word graphicus which means picturesque. Picturesque is from the Greek word graphikos meaning for writing or belonging to drawing, which is from the word graphe meaning writing or drawing.​

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​Geometry is from the Latin word geometria and the Greek word geometria, both with the same spelling, which means measurement or measure of earth or land. The prefix, geo or ge means earth or land plus metria, which means to measure. Geometry is the study of mathematics that deals with the properties and relationships of lines, angles, points, surfaces and solids.

Median is from the Latin word medianus which means of the middle and comes from the word medius meaning middle. In mathematics it is known as the middle number in a series or set of numbers that are placed in order. It is also called the midpoint. The middle is known as point that divides something in half with basically two equal parts, one on each side. In the 1950’s the phase median strip became know as the strip of land between the two lanes of a highway.​

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​Tax is originally from the Old French language word taxer which means “impose a tax”. Also known in the 13th century as being from the Latin word taxare, which means “evaluate, estimate, assess, or value.

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Profit is from the Latin word profectus meaning “to profit or make progress”. The word usage after 1912 has primarily been as a noun.

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