Why does per centum mean per hundred?

Why does per centum mean per hundred?

The Etymology

The term percent (and its fuller historical form per centum) comes directly from the Latin language.

• Per is a Latin preposition meaning "through," "by," or "for each."
• Centum is the Latin word for the number "one hundred" (as seen in English words like century or cent).

When combined, per centum literally translates to "by the hundred" or "for each hundred." Over time, as the phrase was adopted into English, it was shortened to per cent and eventually written as a single word, percent.

Mathematical Application

This linguistic root explains the mathematical definition of a percentage. When we say something is 25%, we are stating that there are 25 parts for every 100 parts of a whole. Understanding the Latin roots makes it clear why percentages are always calculated relative to the base number 100.