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More so if you know the etymology,

https://www.etymonline.com/word/cipher

(Al Jabr, the translator of Indian Mathematical texts was a Persian IIRC)

Al-Jabr, from where we get the word albebra, is an abbreviated name of the book (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing). The translator's name was al-Khwarizmi, from where we get the word algorithm. He was of Persian origin.

Why do say "translator's name" ?

Al-Khwarizmi authored the book Al-Jabr.

Oh you're right, I was confused by the rich cultural exchange of translations happening at the time, from Greek and Sanskrit texts to Arabic then later Arabic texts to Latin. Both the book and the author are fascinating subjects I enjoy learning more about.

Islamic golden age was an interesting time indeed. In addition to algebra, significant contribution to Optics.

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