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Word History: Our word fraction did not originally have a mathematical sense. It goes back ultimately to the Latin verb frangere, "to break." From the stem of the past participle frÄctus is derived Late Latin frÄctiÅ(stem frÄctiÅn-), "a breaking" or "a breaking in pieces," as in the breaking of the Eucharistic Host. In Medieval Latin the word frÄctiÅ developed its mathematical sense, which was taken into Middle English along with the word. The earliest recorded sense of our word is "an aliquot part of a unit, a fraction or subdivision," found in a work by Chaucer written about 1400. One of the next recorded instances of the word recalls its origins, referring to the "brekying or fraccioun" of a bone.
fraction. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fraction
latin word fractio meaning to break
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Where did the word fraction originally come from?
Latin, originally.
Is fraction an adverb?
No, it is not an adverb. Fraction is a noun (a part). The word has come to be used as a verb, rather than the original, which is "fracture."
Does the word fraction have a prefix?
No. Fraction is one, whole, single word.
Is fraction a noun?
Yes, the word 'fraction' is a noun, a word for a part of a whole; a word for a thing.
Can a fraction division problem come up as a fraction as an answer?
Yes.
Is fraction a three syllable word?
No the word fraction has two syllables. Frac-tion.
What is a compound word for the word fraction?
halfway
What is a two word phrase that indicates a ratio or fraction?
out of
What is the vocab word for a fraction with a denominator of one?
It is called a unit fraction.
What is another word for improper fraction?
It is a vulgar or 'top heavy' fraction
What part of speech is fraction?
The word fraction is a noun. The plural form is fractions.
How can fraction be a compound word?
It cannot be.
