كسور عشرية
kusūr ‘ashrīyah
The English phrase "decimals" is translated into Arabic as كسور عشرية (kusūr ‘ashrīyah).
The term refers to numbers that use a point to separate the whole number part from the fractional part.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of kusūr (fractions) and ‘ashrīyah (decimal/base-ten).
How do you pronounce it?
kusūr ‘ashrīyah
Did you know?
- The word كسور is the plural of كسر, which literally means 'a break' or 'a fracture'. In Arabic, a fraction is conceptualized as a 'broken' number.
- In historical Arabic mathematics, the concept of 'broken numbers' كسور was used to develop the early algebra needed to solve complex linear equations long before the modern 'decimal point' was standardized.
- While the term كسور عشرية uses a decimal point in modern textbooks, many Arabic-speaking countries traditionally use a comma, like ٠,٥, instead of a point to separate the whole and fractional parts.
Examples in context
- هذه الأرقام هي كسور عشرية.hadhihi al-arqam hiya kusur 'ashriyya.These numbers are decimals.
