Etymology of the Word 'Quotient'

Date: 11/25/2002 at 21:05:29
From: Jim Collins
Subject: For extra credit in Math 210 at CSUSM

What is the origin of the word 'quotient'? What is its connection to 
math? 

Thank you.
Jim

Date: 11/26/2002 at 09:41:21
From: Doctor Helium
Subject: Re: For extra credit in Math 210 at CSUSM

Hello Jim,

If you look up the word "quotient" in any dictionary, you will see the 
etymology of the word. Quotient comes from the Middle English word 
"quocient," which is an alteration of the word "quotiens" from 
Latin, meaning "how many times."

A quotient in math is the answer to a division problem. A division 
problem shows "how many times" one number will go into another. This 
comes from the Latin root described above.

- Doctor Helium, The Math Forum
  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/