The word 'sine' originates from a Latin mistranslation of the Arabic word 'jiba'. What was the Latin word used?
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Sinus
Translators in the 12th century mistook the Arabic 'jiba' (chord) for 'jayb' (bay or fold). They used the Latin 'sinus' (meaning bay or curve), which eventually became the English 'sine'.
Also asked as:
- Which Latin word, meaning 'bay' or 'curve', was used by 12th-century translators as a mistranslation of the Arabic 'jiba'?