…you know, naming things after small pebbles is less cringe than being called “bootsie” (Caligula).
(Both words are similar by coincidence: calx “chalk/limestone”→ calculus “pebble” vs. caliga “boot” → caligula “little boot”. I’m not aware of any word like caligulus, at most caliculus “little cup” ← calix “cup”. inb4 sorry I probably just explained a joke, but I couldn’t resist.)
But you do need calculus to build stuff in Roman times! Lots and lots of calculi. Some cement too.
[Explanation: “calculus” is literally “pebble”, “little chalk”, something like this. The association with maths makes sense when you remember abaci.]
*Caligulus
…you know, naming things after small pebbles is less cringe than being called “bootsie” (Caligula).
(Both words are similar by coincidence: calx “chalk/limestone”→ calculus “pebble” vs. caliga “boot” → caligula “little boot”. I’m not aware of any word like caligulus, at most caliculus “little cup” ← calix “cup”. inb4 sorry I probably just explained a joke, but I couldn’t resist.)