Name: Terry Moore: Hvorfor er 'x' det ukendte?
Uploaded: 2012-06-06T15:00:59Z
Duration: 3 min 40 s
Description: Hvorfor er 'x' symbolet for det ukendte? I denne korte og sjove tale giver Terry Moore det overraskende svar.

Hvorfor er 'x' symbolet for det ukendte? I denne korte og sjove tale giver Terry Moore det overraskende svar.

Terry Moore: Hvorfor er 'x' det ukendte?

The symbol 'x' represents the unknown because medieval translators struggled to capture Arabic sounds in their own languages. When Arabic mathematical texts reached Spain, the word 'shayun'—meaning 'something' or 'unknown'—could not be directly translated, so scholars substituted Greek and Latin letters. Over centuries, this workaround turned a simple letter into a global icon of mystery, now seen everywhere from math class to pop culture.

A Linguistic Twist Made X the Universal Symbol for the Unknown

culture