Q: In this task, we ask you to rewrite a sentence in simple English without changing its general meaning. Essentially, you want to make the sentence easier to read by using simpler words, utilizing more straightforward sentence structures, and omitting non-essential information etc.
The word " cipher " ( minority spelling " cypher " ) in former times meant " zero " and had the same origin : Middle French as " " and Medieval Latin as " cifra , " from the Arabic " sifr " = zero ( see Zero Etymology ) .
A:
The word cipher in French is " cifre " and in Medieval Latin " cifra " , from the Arabic " sifr " , meaning ' zero ' .