decimal etymology

Etymology:

  • From Latin decimalis, meaning "of or relating to tenths".
  • Ultimately derived from Latin decimus, meaning "tenth".

Meaning and Origin:

The word "decimal" originally referred to anything divided into tenths. It gained its current mathematical meaning in the 15th century when mathematicians began using base-10 number systems.

In a decimal system, numbers are represented by digits 0 through 9, and the position of each digit indicates its value multiplied by a power of 10. For example, in the number 123.45, the 1 represents 100, the 2 represents 20, the 3 represents 3, the 4 represents 0.4, and the 5 represents 0.05.

The base-10 system was chosen because it is relatively easy to use and understand. It is also compatible with the human anatomy, as we have ten fingers and ten toes, which may have influenced its development.

Today, the decimal system is the most widely used number system in the world. It is used in science, engineering, finance, and many other fields.

decimal relate terms

  • decimalization

    Etymology The word decimalization originates from two Latin roots decem meaning te

  • decimal

    Etymology From Latin decimalis meaning of or relating to tenths Ultimately derived

  • hexadecimal

    Etymology The word hexadecimal is derived from Greek hexa ἑξα six deca δ

  • hexa

    Etymology The word hexa is derived from the Greek word ἕξ hex meaning six

  • decimal

    Etymology From Latin decimalis meaning of or relating to tenths Ultimately derived

  • cent

    Etymology The word cent is derived from the Latin word centum meaning hundred Me

  • centenarian

    Etymology Centenarian is derived from the Latin words centum hundred and annus

  • centenary

    Etymology From Latin centēnārius meaning pertaining to a hundred From centēni

  • centi

    Etymology The word centi comes from the Latin word centum meaning hundred It was

  • centime

    Etymology From French centime from cent hundred Introduced into English in the 19th

  • centurion

    Etymology Latin centurio Proto Indo European ḱm̥tós English centurion Meaning

  • century

    Etymology The word century is derived from the Latin word centuria which refers to a

  • centennial

    Etymology Latin centennialis French centenaire English centennial Meaning

  • cinquecento

    Etymology From Italian cinquecento 500 from Late Latin quingenti 500 from qui

  • dean

    Etymology Old English Deán Proto Germanic Dehans Proto Indo European Dheḱ Me

  • deca

    Etymology The word deca comes from the Greek word deka meaning ten It is a prefix

  • decade

    Etymology The word decade derives from the Latin word decem meaning ten In the ea

  • decagon

    Etymology New Latin decagonum from Greek dekagonon from deka ten gonia angle

  • Decalogue

    Etymology The word decalogue is derived from the Greek words deka δέκα meaning

  • Decameron

    Etymology Greek deka ten hemera day Meaning Ten Days or Ten Day Stor

  • decapod

    Etymology Derived from Greek deka ten pod foot Meaning An animal that

  • December

    Etymology December derives from the Latin word decem meaning ten It was originally

  • decennial

    Etymology Latin decennialis occurring every ten years New Latin decennalis Middle

  • deci

    Etymology The word deci is derived from the Latin word decimus meaning tenth Mea

  • decile

    Etymology French décile Latin decilis PIE root dek ten Meaning A deci

  • decimal

    Etymology From Latin decimalis meaning of or relating to tenths Ultimately derived

  • decimate

    Etymology Derived from the Latin verb decimāre meaning to take a tenth part Me

  • decimation

    Etymology From Latin decimare to tithe from decimus tenth Meaning Origina

  • decuple

    Etymology From Latin decuplus tenfold from decem ten plus more Meaning

  • decussate

    Etymology Decussate comes from the Latin verb decussare meaning to cross in the for

  • denarius

    Etymology The word denarius is derived from the Latin word deni meaning ten Mean

  • dicker

    Etymology Middle Dutch dic thick Proto Germanic thikwaz thick Meaning Ad

  • dime

    Etymology From the Latin phrase dime mediae notae meaning half of a nota Nota i

  • dinar

    Etymology The word dinar is derived from the Late Latin word denarius which was a R

  • doyen

    Etymology The word doyen is derived from the Old French word doiien which in turn co

  • dozen

    Etymology The word dozen comes from the Old French word douzaine which in turn comes

  • duodecimal

    Etymology Late Latin duodecimalis Latin duodēnī ālis from Latin duodēnī twe

  • duodecimo

    Etymology The word duodecimo comes from the Latin phrase duodecimo loco which means

  • eighteen

    Etymology Old English eahtatyne from eaht eight tiene ten Meaning A car

  • fifteen

    Etymology Originating from Old English fiftiene inflected form of fif five and

  • fourteen

    Etymology The word fourteen traces its roots back to Old English where it was written

  • hecatomb

    Etymology of Hecatomb The word hecatomb is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἑ

  • hendeca

    Etymology Latin hendeca Greek endeka Proto Indo European nekmt eleven Meanin

  • hundred

    Etymology The word hundred comes from the Old English word hundrēd meaning group

  • icosahedron

    Etymology The word icosahedron comes from the Greek words eikosi meaning twenty

  • nineteen

    Etymology The word nineteen comes from the Old English phrase nigontyne which itself

  • nonagenarian

    Etymology The word nonagenarian is derived from the Latin words nona nine and g

  • octogenarian

    Etymology octo Latin eight geni Latin to produce arian Latin suffix pertaini

  • Pentecost

    Etymology Greek πεντηκοστή pentēkostē meaning fiftieth day Meanin

  • percent

    Etymology Origin Latin per centum meaning by the hundred Origin French pour c

  • quattrocento

    Etymology Italian quattrocento Meaning The 15th century specifically in Italian

  • Septuagint

    Etymology Latin Septuaginta Greek Ἑβδομήκοντα Hebdomēkonta Meaning a

  • seventeen

    Etymology The name SEVENTEEN is a combination of two Korean words Se 세 mean

  • sixteen

    Etymology The word sixteen comes from the Old English word sixtīene which is itself

  • tenth

    Etymology Old English tēoða from Proto Germanic tehun dōn from Proto Indo European

  • thirteen

    Etymology The word thirteen comes from the Old English word þrēotēne which is a c

  • thousand

    Etymology The word thousand comes from the Old English word þūsend which is cogna

  • tithe

    Etymology The word tithe comes from the Old English word teotha which in turn comes

  • meter

    Etymology The word meter originates from the Greek word métron meaning measure I

  • cent

    Etymology The word cent is derived from the Latin word centum meaning hundred Me

  • caliber

    Etymology The word caliber originates from the Old French word calibre which was bo

  • hundred

    Etymology The word hundred comes from the Old English word hundrēd meaning group

  • number

    Etymology Comes from the Old French word nombere which derives from the Latin numer

  • fraction

    Etymology The word fraction is derived from the Latin word fractio which means a b

  • intervention

    Etymology Latin intervenire to come between Inter between venire to come

  • emancipate

    Etymology Latin emancipare to release a child from parental authority Latin root

  • panegyric

    Etymology Derived from the Greek word panegyrikos which means related to a panegyri

  • gorgeous

    Etymology The word gorgeous comes from the Old French word gorgeois which means ric