# Why do we say Hexadecimal, combining Greek with Latin? [closed]

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to ask this question, but since there are quite a few similar, not directly math-related questions, I assume it is okay.
I was just wondering why we say hexadecimal. I mean from base 1 to base 10 we use Latin words/prefixes as the name for each system and then at base 16 we suddenly add a Greek Hexa to the Latin Decimal. I don't get it. Shouldn't it be something like Sedecimal instead?

## closed as off-topic by Namaste, Daniel W. Farlow, Claude Leibovici, Lord Shark the Unknown, José Carlos SantosJun 27 '17 at 7:06

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

• "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center." – Namaste, Daniel W. Farlow, Claude Leibovici, Lord Shark the Unknown, José Carlos Santos
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• There is a stack exchange site dedicated to math and science history. You might get interesting answers there, in addition to the answers that you get here. – M_B Jun 26 '17 at 19:38
• stancarey.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/… – Hans Lundmark Jun 26 '17 at 20:27
• Roots from different languages are commonly mixed in other domains such as medicine. Why should mathematics be any different? – amd Jun 26 '17 at 23:33

• Why not hektometer since it's a κ in the original? ;o) – Bernard Jun 26 '17 at 20:05