different between abacus vs calculator

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English abacus, abagus, agabus (“abacus; art of counting with an abacus”), from Latin abacus, abax (“sideboard or table with a slab at the top; slab at the top of a column; counting board, sand table; board for playing games”) (compare Late Latin abacus (“art of arithmetic”)), from Ancient Greek ???? (ábax, “counting board; board covered with sand for drawing; plate; dice-board”), possibly from a Semitic source; compare Hebrew ???? (?v?q, “dust”) and Phoenician -??????????????????? (-??b??q). The English word is cognate with Catalan àbac (“counting board; mathematical table; board covered with sand for drawing; checkerboard or chessboard; table”), Old French abac, Middle French abaque (French abaque (“counting board; art of arithmetic; slab at the top of a column”)), Italian abaco (“counting board; multiplication table; art of counting; type of table; slab at the top of a column”), Portuguese ábaco, Spanish ábaco. Doublet of abaque.

The plural form abaci is from Latin abac?.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /?æb?k?s/
• Hyphenation: aba?cus
• The plural abaci:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?æb?ka?/, /-sa?/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /?æb??ka?/, /-?sa?/
  • Hyphenation: aba?ci

Noun

abacus (plural abaci or abacuses)

1. (historical, obsolete) A table or tray scattered with sand which was used for calculating or drawing. [attested from c. 1387]
2. A device used for performing arithmetical calculations; (rare) a table on which loose counters are placed, or (more commonly) an instrument with beads sliding on rods, or counters in grooves, with one row of beads or counters representing units, the next tens, etc. [from late 17th c.]
3. (architecture) The uppermost portion of the capital of a column immediately under the architrave, in some cases a flat oblong or square slab, in others more decorated. [from mid 16th c.]
4. (Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, historical) A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments for holding bottles, cups, or the like; a kind of buffet, cupboard, or sideboard. [from late 18th c.]

Hyponyms

• soroban (Japanese)
• suanpan (Chinese)

Related terms

• abaciscus (archaic)
• abacist
• abaculus (archaic)
• abaque

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• abacus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• abacus (architecture) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• abacus (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• abacus in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002) , “abacus”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, ?ISBN, page 2
• Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ?ISBN), page 2
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “abacus”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin abacus, from Ancient Greek ???? (ábax).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.ba?.k?s/
• Hyphenation: aba?cus

Noun

abacus m (plural abaci or abacussen, diminutive abacusje n)

1. (arithmetic) abacus (arithmetic calculation device, usually with beads on rods)

   Synonyms: rekentafel, telraam

2. (architecture) abacus (upper portion of a column's capital)

Latin

Alternative forms

• abax

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ???? (ábax, “board”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?a.ba.kus/, [?äbäk?s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?a.ba.kus/, [???b?kus]

Noun

abacus m (genitive abac?); second declension

1. square board
2. sideboard
3. counting board, abacus
4. gaming board
5. A painted ceiling or wall panel.
6. panel
7. tray

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Descendants

References

• ?b?cus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• abacus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• abacus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• abacus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• abacus in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia?^[1]
• abacus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• abacus in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
• Professor Kidd, et al. Collins Gem Latin Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers (Glasgow: 2004). ?ISBN. page 1.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• abagus

Etymology

From Latin abacus, from Ancient Greek ???? (ábax)

Noun

abacus

1. abacus

References

• “abacus, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

English

Etymology

In the sense of a person, from Middle English calkelatour (“mathematician, astrologer”), borrowed from Latin calcul?tor, equivalent to calculate +? -or. The other meanings arose in Modern English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kæl.kj?.le?.t?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kæl.kj?.le?.t??/, [?k?æ?.kj??le??.??]

Noun

calculator (plural calculators)

1. A mechanical or electronic device that performs mathematical calculations.
2. (dated) A person who performs mathematical calculation
3. A person who calculates (in the sense of scheming).
4. (obsolete) A set of mathematical tables.

Synonyms

• (electronic device): electronic calculator, pocket calculator
• (mechanical device): adding machine
• (person who performs mathematical calculations): computer (dated)
• (person who schemes): plotter, schemer
• (mathematical tables): ready reckoner, tables

Derived terms

• electronic calculator
• pocket calculator

Related terms

• calculate

Translations

See also

• ready reckoner
• slide rule
• tables
• calculator on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928) , “Calculator”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume II (C), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, pages 27–28, column 3.

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: cal?cu?la?tor

Etymology

From English calculator.

Noun

calculator

1. calculator (device)

   Synonyms: calcu, kalkulador

Latin

Etymology

From calcul? (“I calculate”) +? -tor

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kal.ku?la?.tor/, [kä??k????ä?t??r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kal.ku?la.tor/, [k?lku?l??t??r]

Noun

calcul?tor m (genitive calcul?t?ris, feminine calcul?tr?x); third declension

1. calculator, bookkeeper, accountant
2. computer, one versed in/teacher of arithmetic

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Synonyms

• calcul?tr?x

Verb

calcul?tor

1. second-person singular future passive imperative of calcul?
   1. "thou shalt be calculated, thou shalt be computed"
   2. (figuratively) "thou shalt be considered as, thou shalt be esteemed"
2. third-person singular future passive imperative of calcul?
   1. "it shall be calculated, it shall be computed"
   2. (figuratively) "she shall be considered as, she shall be esteemed"

References

• calculator in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• calculator in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• calculator in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• calculator in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• calculator in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French calculateur; compare also English and Latin calculator.

Noun

calculator n (plural calculatoare)

1. calculator (device)
2. computer

   Synonyms: computer, ordinator

Declension