Algebra
/ælˈdʒɛ.brə/noun
A branch of mathematics dealing with symbols and the rules for manipulating those symbols.
Did you know?The word 'algebra' is derived from 'al-jabr', a term used in a 9th-century mathematical text that revolutionized mathematics and is still crucial today!
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
Arabic
الجبر (al-jabr)
“Reunion of broken parts, restoration.”
9th Century
Arabic
الكتاب المختصر في حساب الجبر والمقابل (al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala)
“The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing, a foundational mathematical treatise.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
algebra
“The term directly borrowed from Arabic, referring to the mathematical discipline.”
16th Century
English
algebra
“Adoption into English as a term for the newly emerging field of mathematics.”