minusul

Minusul is the Romanian noun that designates the minus sign or the subtraction operation in arithmetic, and, more broadly, the concept of negation in numbers. In Romanian mathematics and everyday language, minusul is used to indicate negative values and to refer to subtraction expressions, as in a − b or 7 − 2 = 5, and to the symbol itself when discussing notation.

Etymology: The word minusul is derived from the loanword minus, which comes from French moins and ultimately from Latin minus meaning “less.” The definite article -ul forms the common noun minusul, meaning “the minus.” In ordinary speech, people may also speak of the semnul minus (the minus sign) or simply a minus.

Usage: In mathematics and computing, the minus sign denotes subtraction and negation. The unary minus operator applied to a number x yields the additive inverse, −x. The symbol is used with negative numbers, such as −7, and in arithmetic expressions like a − b. In Romanian didactic writing, minusul is often treated as a terminology item, distinct from the dash or hyphen used in other contexts.

See also: minus sign, subtraction, negative number, unary minus, Romanian mathematical terminology.