▁property ▁of ▁being ▁[ one ] ▁nin th ▁[ of ▁the ▁sum ] ▁only ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁[ ar ithmetic ] ▁mean ▁itself ... ▁ ▁Even ▁older ▁potential ▁references ▁exist . ▁There ▁are ▁records ▁that ▁from ▁about ▁ 7 0 0 ▁BC , ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁sh ipp ers ▁agreed ▁that ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁cargo ▁and ▁ship ▁( the ir ▁" cont ribution " ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁damage ▁by ▁the ▁sea ) ▁should ▁be ▁shared ▁equally ▁among ▁themselves . ▁This ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁calculated ▁using ▁the ▁average , ▁although ▁there ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁no ▁direct ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁calculation . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁root ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁Arab ic ▁as ▁ ع و ا ر ▁aw ar , ▁a ▁defect , ▁or ▁anything ▁defect ive ▁or ▁dam aged , ▁including ▁partially ▁spo iled ▁mer ch and ise ; ▁and ▁ ع و ا ر ي ▁ ʿ aw ā r ī ▁( also ▁ ع و ا ر ة ▁ ʿ aw ā ra ) ▁= ▁" of ▁or ▁rel ating ▁to ▁ ʿ aw ā r , ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁partial ▁damage ". ▁Within ▁the ▁Western ▁languages ▁the ▁word ' s ▁history ▁begins ▁in ▁medieval ▁sea - commerce ▁on ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ 1 2 th ▁and ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁Gen oa ▁Latin ▁av aria ▁meant ▁" dam age , ▁loss ▁and ▁non - normal ▁exp enses ▁ar ising ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁a ▁merchant ▁sea ▁voyage "; ▁and ▁the ▁same ▁meaning ▁for ▁av aria ▁is