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Origin and history of decimal

decimal(adj.)

c. 1600, "pertaining to a tenth or ten," from Medieval Latin decimalis "of tithes or tenths," from Latin decimus "tenth," from decem "ten" (from PIE root *dekm- "ten"). Applied to Arabic notation before modern use in reference to decimal fractions (fraction whose denominator is a power of 10) emerged 1610s. As a noun from 1640s, "a decimal fraction." Decimal point is by 1711; the use of the point seems to be due to Scottish mathematician John Napier, "Marvellous Merchiston," c. 1619.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to decimal

decimalization(n.)

also decimalisation, "act of reducing to a decimal system" (especially of currency), 1842; see decimal + -ization.

hexadecimal(adj.)

1952, in reference to a numeral system based on 16, not 10; from hexa- + decimal. From 1970 as a noun.

*dekm-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "ten."

It might form all or part of: cent; centenarian; centenary; centi-; centime; centurion; century; centennial; cinquecento; dean; deca-; decade; decagon; Decalogue; Decameron; decapod; decathlon; December; decennial; deci-; decile; decimal; decimate; decimation; decuple; decussate; denarius; denier (n.) "French coin;" dicker; dime; dinar; doyen; dozen; duodecimal; duodecimo; eighteen; fifteen; fourteen; hecatomb; hendeca-; hundred; icosahedron; nineteen; nonagenarian; octogenarian; Pentecost; percent; quattrocento; Septuagint; sexagenarian; seventeen; sixteen; ten; tenth; thirteen; thousand; tithe; -ty (1).

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit dasa, Avestan dasa, Armenian tasn, Greek deka, Latin decem (source of Spanish diez, French dix), Old Church Slavonic deseti, Lithuanian dešimt, Old Irish deich, Breton dek, Welsh deg, Albanian djetu, Old English ten, Old High German zehan, Gothic taihun "ten."

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    Trends of decimal

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

    More to explore

    meter
    Developed by French Academy of Sciences for system of weights and measures based on a decimal system originated 1670 by French...
    cent
    Proceeding thence in a decimal Ratio one hundred would be the lowest Silver Coin and might be called a Cent....] Thomas Jefferson's counterproposal, which won approval, built on Morris's but eliminated the basic unit and made the decimal...
    caliber
    In U.S., expressed in decimal parts of an inch (.44-caliber = ".44-inch caliber")....
    hundred
    hundrath tolf-roett ... meaning "duodecimal hundred," and the new or short hundred was called hundrath ti-rætt, meaning "decimal...
    number
    c. 1300, "sum, aggregate of a collection," from Anglo-French noumbre, Old French nombre and directly from Latin numerus "a number, quantity," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take." The meaning "written symbol or figure of arithmetic value" is from late 14c. The meaning "singl
    fraction
    late 14c., originally in the mathematical sense, from Anglo-French fraccioun (Old French fraccion, "a breaking," 12c., Modern French fraction) and directly from Late Latin fractionem (nominative fractio) "a breaking," especially into pieces, in Medieval Latin "a fragment, portion
    intervention
    early 15c., intervencioun, "intercession, intercessory prayer," Late Latin interventionem (nominative interventio) "an interposing, a giving security," literally "a coming between," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin intervenire "to come between, interrupt," from i
    emancipate
    1620s, "set free from control," from Latin emancipatus, past participle of emancipare "put (a son) out of paternal authority, declare (someone) free, give up one's authority over," in Roman law, the freeing of a son or wife from the legal authority (patria potestas) of the pater
    panegyric
    "eulogy, laudation, praise bestowed upon some person, action, or character," c. 1600, from French panégyrique (1510s), from Latin panegyricus "public eulogy," originally an adjective, "for a public festival," from Greek panēgyrikos (logos) "(a speech) given in or addressed to a p
    gorgeous
    c. 1500, "splendid, showy, sumptuously adorned" (of clothing), from French gorgias "elegant, fashionable," a word of unknown origin; perhaps a special use of gorgias "necklace" (and thus "fond of or resembling jewelry"), from Old French gorge "throat," also "something adorning th

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    Dictionary entries near decimal
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