LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

zēphirum

zēphirum n (genitive zēphirī)
Classical[ˈzeː.pʰɪ.rũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈd͡zɛː.fi.rum]

Meaning

  1. Medieval Latinzero
    Novem figurae indorum hae sunt: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Cum his itaque novem figuris, et cum hoc signo 0, quod arabice zephirum appellatur, scribitur quilibet numerus,[…]These are the Indian figures: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. With these nine figures, and with this sign 0, which is called zero in Arabic, any number can be written, […]1202, Leonardo Fibonacci, chapter I, in Liber Abaci (arithmetics treatise):

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativezēphirumzēphira
genitivezēphirīzēphirōrum
dativezēphirōzēphirīs
accusativezēphirumzēphira
ablativezēphirōzēphirīs
vocativezēphirumzēphira

Origins

First used in 1202 by Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, probably borrowed from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing; cipher”). Doublet of cīfra (“cipher”).

Descendants
  • Spanishcerofrom Old Italian zero
  • Englishzerofrom Old Italian zero
  • Frenchzérofrom Old Italian zero
  • New Latinzērum

In English words that came into English from zēphirum

  • zerozēphirum

Quick answers

What does zēphirum mean in Latin?
zēphirum, a noun, means “zero”.
What is the genitive of zēphirum?
The genitive singular is zēphirī. zēphirum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce zēphirum?
In classical Latin, [ˈzeː.pʰɪ.rũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈd͡zɛː.fi.rum].