Re: "Cipher"

Arthur Chandler writes:

Neil Postman, in his *Technopoly*, asserts that the word "cipher" derives ultimately from the Hindu word for void, and therefore "suggests the idea of nothingness." (p 128) Does anyone else have info on the origin of this word? Is Postman correct?

Postman may be right about his etymology; I don't know, though I'm sure one of the many folks out there with an OED could answer this. However, arguing from etymology is one of the most irksome of the many bogus rhetorical techniques that the academic establishment has developed as part of its standard toolkit and really wish they would cut it out. The answer to the broader question, "Is Postman correct?", is "no".