Algebre
/ˈæl.dʒə.brə/noun
An obsolete English spelling of algebra, the branch of mathematics concerned with symbols, quantities, and equations.
Did you know?The term comes from the title of a ninth-century mathematical treatise by al-Khwarizmi, whose methods transformed equation-solving into a systematic discipline.
Etymological Timeline
9th Century
Arabic
al-jabr
“The restoration or reunion of broken parts; a mathematical operation used to balance and complete equations.”
9th Century
Arabic
Kitāb al-jabr wa’l-muqābala
““The Book of Restoration and Balancing,” the influential treatise by Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī.”
12th Century
Latin
algebra
“A Latin rendering of the Arabic mathematical term, introduced through translations of Arabic scholarship.”
13th–14th Century
Old French
algebre
“A French and Anglo-French form referring to the art or science of algebra.”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
algebre
“An English spelling of algebra, now obsolete.”
Modern English
English
algebra
“The modern standard form for mathematics using symbols, variables, and equations.”