Arabic numerals, you say?

Yes, I know Arabic and Islamic are not synonymous. I was stretching for a silly title.

390 points · 24 comments · view on lemmy.world

24 Comments

TheRealKuni@midwest.social · 103 pts · 1y (13 replies)

Fun fact, the etymology of algebra actually is Arabic: al-jabr, “the reunion of broken parts.”

sturlabragason@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 1y

That’s smooth af.

neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 1y

And "algorithm" is of similar origin: al-Khwarizmi

morrowind@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 1y (4 replies)

Al-Jabbar is also one of the names of God, meaning the restorer, the repairer and the compeller

Valmond@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Refactor, repairer and compiler? /jk

Aqarius@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Well, pressing "compile" does tend to include prayers.

Valmond@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

Let me introduce you to our lord and saviour C/C++.

Nasan@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 1y

He's pretty great at basketball too, wait no, that's Abdul Ja... Nevermind.

expr@programming.dev · 12 pts · 1y (4 replies)

Yeah I was kinda confused by the joke since that's ultimately it's origin.

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1y (3 replies)

The joke is she's right on accident

Shou@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y (2 replies)

She is not right on accident. Her sounding stupid is the joke. She knows what she's talking about. Her comedy skits are all like this.

captainlezbian@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

I meant Cunk the character, not the wickedly funny woman who plays her.

Shou@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

Oh. I read that wrong. Sorry.

maniclucky@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1y

Man I feel like if we called it that, people would think it's way cooler.

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 27 pts · 1y (7 replies)

Similar etymology for algorithm too.

AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space · 22 pts · 1y (1 reply)

IIRC, that one comes from the name of a Persian mathematician named al-Khwarismi (sp?), from whose writings medieval mathematicians got the idea

myslsl@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1y

Al-khwarismi is the same guy who wrote al-jabr.

captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 1y (4 replies)

And alcohol.

Klear@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Alright, but aside from algebra, algorithm and alcohol, what have the Muslims ever done for us?

Spesknight@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Spread the use of coffee

Klear@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

Oh, coffee. SHUT UP!

CannedYeet@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

And Al Jolson

serenissi@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1y

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Arabic numerals, is in fact, Indo-Arabic, or as I've recently taken to calling it, Indian plus Arabic numerals.

niktemadur@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y

Algebra and algorithms are the Islamic attempt at establishing a Caliphate Of Math!