Secant Origin: How Did the Word Get its Name?

[Animal]

I know that cotangent is thus named because its the compliment of tangent, but where did Secant get its name?

 

[arildno]

According to this dictionary:

"secant
..from L. secantem (nom. secans) "cutting," prp. of secare "to cut" (see section). First used by Dan. mathematician Thomas Fincke in Geometria Rotundi (1583)."

 

[tacman]

The word "secant" originated from the Latin word "secare" which means "to cut". This term was used in mathematics to describe a line that cuts through a curve or circle. In geometry, a secant line intersects a curve in two points. The term was first used by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid in his book "Elements". It was later adopted by Arab mathematicians and eventually made its way into modern mathematics. The name "secant" accurately describes the function of this line in geometry, as it cuts through a curve or circle. This is similar to how the word "tangent" originated from the Latin word "tangens" which means "touching". Therefore, the word "secant" is derived from its function and its use in geometry, just like the word "cotangent" is derived from its relationship to the tangent function.