algebra (Latin)

Where does "algebra" come from?

The English word 'algebra' originates from the Arabic term 'al-jabr'[1]. This Arabic word originally signified the 'reunion' or the 'resetting of broken parts'[1]. Through the process of linguistic borrowing, the term entered Latin before making its way into English, retaining its core association with restoring balance or fixing fractured elements[1].

Open questions

• The Arabic root form 'jabr' is sometimes compared to the Hebrew 'g-b-r', though the direct etymological link remains a point of comparative study. [2]

Full etymology tree

• algebra (Latin), 'algebra'
  • borrowed الْجَبْر (al-jabr) (Arabic)

Ancestors

• جبر (Arabic)

Descendants and derived words

• algebra (English)
• algebra (Danish)
• algebra (Dutch)
• algebra (Finnish)
• algèbre (French)
• ალგებრა (Georgian)
• Algebra (German)
• άλγεβρα (Greek)
• algebra (Hungarian)
• algebra (Italian)
• algebra (Latvian)
• algebra (Polish)

Sources

1. algebra (Latin) - Wiktionary
2. جبر (Arabic) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris