An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

In plane Cartesian coordinates, the distance of any point from the vertical axis (y-axis). The distance from the horizontal axis (x-axis) is called → ordinate.

Etymology (EN): From L abscissa (linea) “(a line) cut off,” from p.p. of abscindere “to cut off,” from → ab- “off, away” + scindere “to cut.”
The word abscissa was first used by Stefano degli Angeli (1623-1697), a professor of mathematics in Rome.

Etymology (PE): Pirâ, present stem of pirâstan “to prune, clip, trim; to adorn, embellish (especially by cutting, clipping, or taking away),” related to ârâstan “to arrange, adorn,” from Mid.Pers. payrâstan, patrâstan “to arrange, adorn,” ultimately from Proto-Iranian *pati-rad-. The first component *pati- “to, toward, near to, against;” cf. Mid.Pers. pât-, from O.Pers. paity “against, back, opposite to, toward, face to face, in front of;” Av. paiti;
Skt. práti “toward, against, again, back, in return, opposite;” Pali pati-; Gk. proti, pros “face to face with, toward, in addition to, near;” PIE *proti. The second component *rad- “to direct, to prepare;” cf. O.Pers. rād- “to prepare,” rās- “to be right, straight, true,” rāsta- “straight, true” (Mod.Pers. râst “straight, true”); Av. rāz- “to direct, put in line, set,” razan- “order;” Gk. oregein “to stretch out;” L. regere “to lead straight, guide, rule,” p.p. rectus “right, straight;” Skt. rji- “to make straight or right, arrange, decorate;” PIE base *reg- “move in a straight line.”