English
decade
Decade comes from Old French decade, from Late Latin decās ‘set of ten’, from Ancient Greek δεκάς, from δέκα ‘ten’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*dékə‘ten’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδέκαdéka‘ten’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδεκάςdekás‘the number ten’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdecās‘(set of) ten’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400decade
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500decade
- Englishearliest quotation 1979decade
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*dékə‘ten’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδέκαdéka‘ten’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδεκάςdekás‘the number ten’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEdecās‘(set of) ten’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400decade
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500decade
- Englishearliest quotation 1979decade
Earliest quotation: 1979, Museums: “Thru May: 1920s — The Decade That Roared. New…”
Equivalent to dec- + -ade
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ ‘ten’
ten, century, cent, hundred, dick, dozen, dean, sen, den, diner, hectare, decimal, tenfold, denier, dwt, doyen, deni, 52 more
Today it means
noun A group, set, or series of ten , particularly
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ / decade