An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A branch of applied mathematics that deals with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters.

Etymology (EN): From Ger. Statistik “political science,” from Mod.L. statisticus (collegium) “state affairs,” from It. statista “person skilled in statecraft,” from stato “state,” ultimately from L. status “position, form of government;” cognate with Pers. ist-, istâdan “to stand” (Mid.Pers. êstâtan; O.Pers./Av. sta- “to stand, stand still; set;” Av. hištaiti; cf. Skt. sthâ- “to stand;” Gk. histemi “put, place, weigh,” stasis “a standing still;” L. stare “to stand;” Lith. statau “place;” Goth. standan; PIE base *sta- “to stand”).

Etymology (PE): Âmâr “computation, arithmetic; statistics,” from âmârdan “to reckon, to calculate,” related to ošmârdan, šomârdan, šomordan “to count, to calculate,”
mar, mâr- “count, reckon, measure,”
bimar “countless,” nahmâr “great, large, big;” Mid.Pers. âmâr “calculating, reckoning;”
Av. base mar- “to have in mind, remember, recall,” hišmar-; cf.
Skt. smr-, smarati “to remember, he remembers,” L. memor, memoria, Gk. mermera “care,” martyr “witness.”