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zenzizenzizenzic
Jun. 22nd, 2012 07:30 amzenzizenzizenzic (zen-zee-zen-zee-ZEN-zik) - n., (obs. Math.) the eighth power of a number.
This dates from before the notation x8 had been developed, and mathematicians still had to use sentences to describe equations. Literally, this is the square of the square of the square, or
, from German zenzik, square in this algebraic sense, borrowed from Italian censo, square, from the Latin census, ennumeration, by way of translating the Arabic word mál, possessions, which was used for their term for a square. Working the other direction, zenzizenzizenzic was coined in 1557 by Robert Recorde, on the model of zenzizenzic, the fourth power of a number, the German-borrowed form of censo di censo, coined in 1202 by Leonardo of Pisa. All of which goes to show, I REALLY like our modern form of exponent notation.
---L.
This dates from before the notation x8 had been developed, and mathematicians still had to use sentences to describe equations. Literally, this is the square of the square of the square, or
, from German zenzik, square in this algebraic sense, borrowed from Italian censo, square, from the Latin census, ennumeration, by way of translating the Arabic word mál, possessions, which was used for their term for a square. Working the other direction, zenzizenzizenzic was coined in 1557 by Robert Recorde, on the model of zenzizenzic, the fourth power of a number, the German-borrowed form of censo di censo, coined in 1202 by Leonardo of Pisa. All of which goes to show, I REALLY like our modern form of exponent notation.---L.
