Why is the subject of mathematics called mathematics in English, and not mathématique or maths as in other languages?
The subject of mathematics is called "mathematics" in English because the word has its roots in ancient Greek. The Greek word "mathema" means "learning," "study," or "science," and the suffix "-ics" means "the study of." So, "mathematics" literally means "the study of learning" or "the study of science."
In other languages, such as French or Spanish, the word for mathematics is "mathématique" or "matemáticas," respectively. These words also have their roots in ancient Greek, but they have gone through different evolutions in each language.
As for the shortened version "math" or "maths," it is more commonly used in American English than in British English, where "mathematics" or "maths" are both used.
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