In the book, "Chasing the Sun" by Richard Cohen, the author gives two possible derivations for the word, "algebra." What seems the most likely? Are there more than two?

The generally accepted etymology is Arabic "al-jabr". What is the other one you heard?

The OED says that it originated from Arabic, as goofy says. From the Arabic word, the Italian form was taken. They said the Italian algèbra eventually became the accepted form, though there is a French from, algèbre.


Bob would be happy to see that this month the online OED's image is celebrating Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

No question that it's Arabic, but Cohen footnotes Martin Isler's book, "Sticks, Stones, and Shadows," which says it derives from a word meaning "...compulsion, as in compelling the unknown 'x' to assume a numerical value. A more colorful notion advanced by some historians is that algebra means 'putting back into its proper place,' or 'bonesetting.' The bonesetter in Don Quixote is known as algebrista, but whether because he resets of because he compels, Cervantes never makes clear."

According to the OED, الجبر al-jabr is "the redintegration or reunion of broken parts" from the verb جبر jabara "to reunite, redintegrate, consolidate, restore; hence, the surgical treatment of fractures, bone-setting"

That is interesting about "algebrista" meaning "bonesetter." I looked up "algebrista" in Google and came up with this site.

quote:

algebrista [al-hay-brees’-tah]
noun
1. Algebraist, a person that understands algebra. (m)
2. One who understands setting dislocated members. (Obsolete) (m)
Bone-setter.

I'm surprised that Proofreader hasn't sugested it as a seaweed breast cover for a mermaid so there, I've done it for him.

But seriously, Cohen seems to think that "bone-setting" is the less likely original meaning. I guess he's got a bone to pick with the OED.

And I bet the OED will win...