I beg to refer MR. F.S. MARTIN (No. 14. p. 215.), for the derivation
of "Calamity," to the _Etymologicon Linguæ Latinæ_ of Gerard Vossius,
or to the _Totius Latinitatis Lexicon_ of Facciolatus and Forcellinus.
He will there find that the word _calamitas_ was first used with
reference to the storms which destroyed the stalks (_calami_) of corn,
and afterwards came to signify metaphorically, any severe misfortune.
The terrific hail-storm of the summer of 1843, which destroyed the
crops of corn through several of the eastern and midland counties of
this kingdom, was a _calamity_ in the original sense of the word.
"W.P.P." has also kindly replied to this query by furnishing a part of
the Article on _Calamitas_ in Vossius; and "J.F.M." adds, _Calamitas_
means--
"The spindling of the corn, which with us is rare, but in
hotter countries common: insomuch as the word _calamitas_ was
first derived from _calamus_, when the corn could not get out
of the stalk."--Bacon, _Nat. Hist_. sect. 669.
_Derivation of "Zero"_ (No. 14. p. 215.).--_Zero_ Ital.; Fr. _un
chiffre_, _un rien_, a cipher in arithmetic, a nought; whence the
proverb _avere nel zero, mépriser souverainement_, to value at
nothing, to have a sovereign contempt for. I do not know what the
etymology of the word may be; but the application is obvious to that
point in the scale of the thermometer below the numbered degrees to
which, in ordinary temperatures, the mercury does not sink.
[Greek: Philologos]
Deanery of Gloucester, Feb. 7. 1850.
"_Zero_" (No. 14. p. 215.)--_Zero_, as is well known, is an Italian
word signifying the arithmetical figure of nought (0). It has been
conjectured that it is derived from the transposition from the Hebrew
word _ezor_, a girdle, the zero assuming that form. (See Furetière,
vol. iii.) Prof. le Moine, of Leyden (quoted by Ménage), claims for
it also an Eastern origin, and thinks we have received it from the
Arabians, together with their method of reckoning ciphers. He suggests
that it may be a corruption from the Hebrew [Hebrew: rphs], _safara_,
to number.
_Complutensian Polyglot_.--I cannot pretend to reply to "MR. JEBB'S"
inquiry under this head in No. 12. p. 213.; but perhaps it may assist
him in his researches, should he not have seen the pamphlet, to refer
to Bishop Smallridge's "Enquiry into the Authority of the Primitive
Complutensian Edition of the New Testament, as principally founded on
the most ancient Vatican MS., together with some research after that
MS. In order to decide the dispute about 1 John v. 7. In a letter to
Dr. Bentley. 8vo. London, 1722."