Calculate
/ˈkæl.kjə.leɪt/noun
To determine something by mathematical computation.
Did you know?The Latin ancestor of calculate, *calculus*, originally meant a small stone or pebble, because early counting was done with stones on an abacus-like board.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kal-
“to call, shout”
Latin
Latin
calculus
“a small stone, pebble; a counting stone”
Late Latin
Latin
calculāre
“to count by means of pebbles; to reckon”
Old French
Old French
calculer
“to count, reckon”
Middle English
English
calculate
“to reckon, compute”
Modern English
English
calculate
“to determine by mathematical methods”
Explore more surprising origins