The Words of Mathematics: An Etymological Dictionary of Mathematical Terms Used in English (Spectrum)

The Words of Mathematics explains the origins of over 1500 mathematical terms used in English. While other dictionaries of mathematics define technical terms, this book concentrates on where those terms came from and what their literal meanings are. The words included here range from simple to advanced. This dictionary is easy to use. Although some of the entries are highly technical, the book explains them in plain English. The introduction gives an overview of how the ancient language known as Indo-European developed into Latin, Greek, French and English, the languages from which most of our mathematical vocabulary has been derived. Another section discusses the many ways in which mathematicians have borrowed and created their specialized vocabulary over the centuries. A glossary explains historical and linguistic terms used throughout the book.

Steven Schwartzman earned his M.A. in the teaching of mathematics from Duke University. He spent nine years as a high school mathematics teacher. He later taught mathematics at Austin Community College and French at the University of Texas.