The word 'statistical' has its conceptual origin in the affairs of state. Its core, 'statistic', derives from the Italian 'statista' (statesman) and the Latin 'status', meaning a standing, position, or condition of a state. In the 18th century, 'statistics' emerged as the science of collecting and analyzing numerical data about the state, such as population or resources. The suffix '-al' was appended to form the adjective, broadening the meaning from strictly state-related data to the general mathematical analysis of any quantitative data, thus describing anything pertaining to this science.

Structure: statistic (data) + al (adjective suffix) - statistic: From New Latin statisticus, from Italian statista ("statesman"), from Latin status ("state, condition"). The root refers to data concerning the state. - al: A suffix of Latin origin forming adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by".