Slog - Comments on Our Debt To Arabic http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic The most that we owe to the language of Arabs is for the word "zero": zero 1604, from It. zero, from M.L. zephirum, from Arabic sifr "cipher," translation of Skt. sunya-m "empty place, desert, naught" (see cipher). A brief history of the invention of "zero" can be found here. Meaning "worthless person" is recorded from 1813. The verb zero in is 1944, from the noun, on the notion of instrument adjustments. Zero tolerance first recorded 1972, originally U.S. political language.... Copyright 2008 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:00:13 -0800 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:30:27 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Suck it Jesus, Mohammed and Moses I thought it would have been Algebra but that is probably just the Middle East in general. That and preserving the Classics while the West was stuck in Christian Fundamentalist mode.

]]> Suck it Jesus, Mohammed and Moses http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812138 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812138 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:14:01 -0800 Comment by Lawrence Molloy The contribution of Arabic as a language is truly misunderstood in the west. Part of the beauty and construction of Islamic life is centered around language.

]]> Lawrence Molloy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812150 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812150 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:19:20 -0800 Comment by M'thew Alcohol, anyone?

]]> M'thew http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812169 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812169 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:48:51 -0800 Comment by aubergine arsenal This morning, while I was sitting on the divan, drinking my coffee spiked with alcohol, as my giraffe and gazelle grazed on alfalfa, I worked on an algebraic algorithm to calculate the phases of the moon for my new almanac. Having finished my elixir, I popped an apricot in my mouth, wiped my lips with a piece of cotton gauze, and leafed through a magazine.

Suddenly the rain began to beat on the roof. "The monsoon!" I thought. Fishing for albacore with the admiral would be too hazardous. I should sip a sugary sorbet on the sofa and lacquer my racket, instead.

]]> aubergine arsenal http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812176 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812176 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:57:39 -0800 Comment by Chris (: صفر جميلة

]]> Chris http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812178 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812178 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:59:54 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Technically, we owe this to India, as the concept came from Sanskrit, but was passed on by Arabic.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812180 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812180 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:04:05 -0800 Comment by WAR LOL The only thing we owe India is bombs.

]]> WAR LOL http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812187 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812187 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:12:29 -0800 Comment by ka chunk @6 I think Charles was talking about the word zero, not the concept.

]]> ka chunk http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812191 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812191 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:17:01 -0800 Comment by elenchos I think the problems our times are a bit more complicated than a lack of blowjobs given to people who today speak a language that has some words that have been made a part of other languages.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812192 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812192 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:17:20 -0800 Comment by QuimbyMcF On the greater topic of borrowing:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." - James D. Nicoll

]]> QuimbyMcF http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812201 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812201 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:22:37 -0800 Comment by Mike @4

I was left feeling incomplete when your story did not end with a surprise assassin.

]]> Mike http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812217 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812217 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:35:09 -0800 Comment by Toby @10

LOL! So true. That is an awesome quote!

]]> Toby http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812235 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812235 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:48:16 -0800 Comment by Lawrence Molloy @4
well scripted, you past the test (ne' Berber)

]]> Lawrence Molloy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812250 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812250 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:59:36 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle @7 - no, you mean Saudi Arabia. We owe them bombs. The US, thru Bush, already pardoned India for building nukes, in one of the dumbest moves ever - and why Iran can now easily demand they have nukes just as we permitted/pardoned both India and Pakistan to have nukes.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812304 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812304 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:54:34 -0800 Comment by mongo like slog That makes sense then, that a cypher in hip hop slang means a circle of freestylers being that zero is a circle. Right?

]]> mongo like slog http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812359 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812359 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:49:02 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV Exactly right, No. 6.

Even then, they knew that you cannot reach the tech support desk without the "O".

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812374 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812374 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:55:17 -0800 Comment by Issur The Arabs gave the world zero. That's about it. Compared to the contribution of the Jews which is revealed in Judaism, Islam is a child's finger painting.

Just look at The Stranger, how many Jewish writers contribute compared to Islamic writers? Why? Because Islam is a religion for idiots. What can compare to The New York Times? There's no Arab paper even close. That proves Judaism is the true religion and Islam creates fascists, just like Christianity creates perverts.

]]> Issur http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812791 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812791 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:59:53 -0800 Comment by Johnnie Can be found here usually implies a link, even when quoted.

]]> Johnnie http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812851 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812851 Arts Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:40:53 -0800 Comment by charles For the first time, Issur came close to being funny.

]]> charles http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812959 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c812959 Arts Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:16:40 -0800 Comment by butterw Early symbol for zero: 0 Modern symbol for zero: W ]]> butterw http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c813039 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/09/our_debt_to_arabic#c813039 Arts Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:30:27 -0800