The Language of Maths

“All teachers are language teachers”.

— Misty Adoniou,

This page explores the morphology and etymology of age-specific vocablulary related to mathematics. Different disciplines generate specialised vocabulary – words for ideas and concepts unique to that field. Mathematics is no exception. Everyday language takes on differents meanings depending on the discipline being explored.

Mathematicians count the “faces” on a 3D object, geologists examine rock “faces”, historians may make assumptions “on the face” of evidence presented. And the novelist’s protagonist may be concerned about “losing face” and perhaps eventually having to “face up” to the truth.

Misty Adoniou, Language matters in science and mathematics – here’s why

 Junior Primary

  • maths

    Etymology
    A shortened form of mathematics.

    Related: mathematician. The suffix -ian indicates “someone who does” maths. Also seen in magician, electrician, musician

  • clockwise

    Morphology
    clock- + -wise “same way as” or "way of proceeding, manner,"

    Also seen in anticlockwise, counterclockwise, likewise, street-wise

  • -teen and -ty

    Morphology
    The suffix -teen means “ten more than” as in fourteen (14)

    The suffix -ty means “multiply by ten” as in forty (40)

  • hundred

    centi-

  • circle

    Etymology
    From the Latin circus (ring) which was applied to oval courses for racing, like the Circus Maximus.

    Also seen in circuit, circulate, cycle

  • globe

    Etymology
    From Latin globus meaning ball or spherical shape.

    Also seen in globetrotter, global, globual

  • angle

    Morphology:
    ang(a)- “hook” + -le “noun forming part”

    Etymology:
    Angle comes from the Latin word angulus meaning corner.

    Also seen in angler, angular, quadrangle

  • triangle

    Morphology
    tri- “three” + -angle “corner”

    Also seen in tricycle, triple, trident

  • -gon

    Morphology
    -(a)gon comes from the Latin for “angle”. For example, polygon means “many angles”. Other common -(a)gon include

    pentagon - five angles
    hexagon - six angles
    octagon - eight tangles

  • pentagon

    Morphology
    pent- “five” + -agon “angle”

  • hexagon

    Morphology
    hex- “six” + -agon “angle”

  • octagon

    Morphology
    oct- “eight” + -agon “angle”

“Morphological knowledge not only helps you spell the word correctly and improve your vocabulary; it can also teach you about the underlying concept the word represents. For example, ‘teen’ means add 10, as in sixteen, and ‘ty’ means multiply by 10, as in sixty. This explains the maths behind the number words as well as helping you spell the word.”

— Misty Adoniou, Spelling It Out (p. 35). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

 Middle Primary

  • mathematics

    Etymology

    Mathematics has come into English via many languages but originally comes from Greek manthanien meaning learn.

  • decimal

    Morphology

    decim- “ten” + -al “forming Latin words”

    Orthography

    “Ci” makes a soft “c” sound as seen/heard in city and cinema.

    Etymology

    From Latin decimus meaning tenth.

  • parallel

    Morphology

    para- “alongside” + allelos (Greek) “one another”

    Etymology

    From Greek parallelos meaning alongside one another.

  • fraction

    Morphology

    fract- “break” + -(t)ion “forming a noun from an action”

    Etymology

    From Latin frangere meaning to break.

  • graph

    Etymology

    Greek for write.

  • perimeter

    Morphology

    peri- “around + -meter “measure”

  • diagonal

    Morphology

    dia- “across” + -gon- “angle + -al “relating to”

    Orthography

    “Dia” as seen/heard in diameter and dialogue.

  • diameter

    Morphology

    dia- “across” + -meter “measure”

    Orthography

    “Dia” as seen/heard in diagonal and dialogue.

    Etymology

    From the Greek words dia meaning across and metron meaning measure.

  • compass

    Morphology

    com- “together” + -pass “step”

  • cylinder

    Etymology

    From Greek kulindros meaning roller

  • formula

    Etymology

    From form meaning shape.

  • function

    Etymology

    From Latin funtio meaning perform.

  • radius

    Morphology

    radi- “ray (i.e. line)” + -us “singular”

  • variable

    Morphology

    vary- “change” + -able “capable”

    Orthography

    Dropping the ‘“Y” for an “I” when a vowel comes afterwards.

  • algebra

    Orthography

    al- goes together as seen/heard in - algae and alfresco.

    Etymology

    From the Arabic word al-jibr meaning the reunion of broken parts.

  • degree

    Morphology
    de- “down” + -gree “a step” from gradus (Latin) “grade, slope”

    Etymology
    From Latin gradus figuratively “a step toward something, a degree of something rising by stages.”

    Also seen in decrease, degrade, gradual

 Upper Primary

  • circumference

    Morphology

    circum- “around” + -fere- “carry” + -ence “noun forming part”

    Orthography

    Using “c” to make a “s” sound as seen/heard in circus, circle and city.

  • equation

    Morphology

    equa- “equal” + -tion “noun formed from an action”

    Etymology

    From Latin aequare meaning make equal.

  • hypotenuse

    Morphology

    hypo- “under” + -tenein (Greek) “to stretch”

    Etymology

    From Greek hypotenein meaning to stretch under.

  • linear

    Etymology

    From Latin linearis meaning a line.

  • trigonometry

    Morphology

    tri- “three” + -gon- “angle” + -metry “measurer”