Etymograph

English

decimal

Decimal comes from Latin decimus ‘tenth’, from decem ‘ten’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dekemreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecem‘ten’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecimus‘tenth’
  5. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500decimalis
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1984decimal

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dekemreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecem‘ten’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdecimus‘tenth’
  5. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500decimalis
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1984decimal

Earliest quotation: 1984, Robert William Dent, Proverbial Language in English Drama Exclusive of Shakespear: “Single- decimaled entries, often originating in Whiting (Wh) or…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ ‘ten’

ten, century, cent, hundred, dick, decade, sen, den, diner, hectare, tenfold, denier, dwt, deca, 50 more

through Latin decem ‘ten’

dozen, dean, doyen, dicker, deni, 20 more

Today it means

adj Concerning numbers expressed in decimal or mathematical calculations performed using decimal.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ / decimal

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