[it's sad that "Dr" WearWord's education so neglected to teach him the value of a good
dictionary. Myself, I was taught that a good, "COLLEGIATE" dictionary would serve me well
for the rest of my life. (I was taught that in Junior High School.) Both the
Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language were recommended as excellent resources that any (EVERY) person should own
(one or the other, as suited their purpose.) I got both. When I quoted one, I flipped
to an entry and read from it.
Anyone with a more COMPLETE education should be familiar with at least their names,
and the uses of a collegiate dictionary. They give the correct spelling of a word, its pronunciation,
its uses, and its origins (and does other things as well, but these are the primary function
of collegiate dictionaries.)
As it turns out, the internet age has given us the ability to read their entries for
ourselves, if one doesn't have a copy at home and doesn't want to visit a library to
check one.
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary's website:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero
"Etymology: French or Italian; French zéro, from Italian zero, from Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ṣifr"
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language's website:
http://dictionary.reference.com/help/ahd4.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zero
"[italian, from alteration of Medieval Latin zephirum, from Arabic ṣifr, nothing, cipher; see cipher.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. "
Just for fun, here's what the Online Etymology Dictionary said for the same entry
(a resource specializing in word origins.)
"zero
1604, from It. zero, from M.L. zephirum, from Arabic sifr "cipher," translation of Skt. sunya-m "empty place, desert, naught" (see cipher)" (Ibid.)
It also gives its own link to the history of the derivation.
http://www.etymonline.com/zero.php
On the one hand, we have resources that are respected by competent educators
and genuine students of the English language. (That's resourceS in the plural.)
On the other hand, we have one resource noted for inventing the associations
between things when it suited him, who contradicts them.
What is more trustworthy? Where is the weight of the evidence?
Can it be any more obvious?]