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etymology edit
Is the "sifr = void" mentioned in the introduction the same as صفر (s-f-r) that is etymologically related to zero and cipher? If so, then it should be mentioned. --The very model of a minor general (talk) 12:37, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
Also to note: The word Safar in Hebrew is the past tense of the verb "to count". Perhaps this is related to its usage in Arabic as well, especially with respect to the "void month", i.e. one that has already been counted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 168.68.129.127 (talk) 17:18, 27 March 2008 (UTC)
I can't believe nobody's caught how atrociously wrong the currently displayed etymology is. Per the above comments, yes the void month is a likely possibility:
http://www.binoria.org/months/safar.htm
I wouldn't call this a scholarly source, but صفر can be overly simplified into three meaning areas: 1) make a mouth-sound (whistle, hiss); 2) be yellow, or pale or fair; 3) be devoid, empty, vacant.
As I say, that article is not scholarly and I do not have the capacity to do a lot of research right now, but the second two meanings are likely.
I'm going to remove the current information for one primary reason, it mistakenly confuses etymological ص with س possibly because both are transcribed as a form of s; so without proper formatting one could mix up س ش and ص. Michael Sheflin (talk) 00:47, 5 October 2010 (UTC)