La Géométrie
The Deep Islamic Connection
Long before Europe had universities:
• Muslims translated Greek works to Arabic
• Improved them
• Corrected mistakes
• Added proofs and new methods
• Wrote original works (Europe adopted this all much later)
Key Muslim scholars:
-
Al-Khwarizmi
His book Kitab al-Jabr (algebra) reshaped all mathematics. -
Al-Biruni
Used geometry to measure the Earth’s radius with incredible accuracy. -
Ibn al-Haytham
Used geometry to describe light, shadows, and vision.
When Europeans later translated these Arabic books into Latin and French, they kept many of the Arabic diagrams, terms, and methods. So the French “géométrie” you saw is directly connected to Islamic scholarship.
Summary for quick use
French: La géométrie
English: The geometry
Root meaning: Measuring the earth
Islamic significance: Muslims preserved and advanced it
Pronunciation: (lay) jay-oh-may-tree