Etymograph

English

eight

Eight comes from Middle English eighte, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*oḱtṓwreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ahtōureconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ahtōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150eahta
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eighte
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1837eight

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*oḱtṓwreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ahtōureconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ahtōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150eahta
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eighte
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1837eight

Earliest quotation: 1837, Thomas Carlyle, London: James Fraser: “About eight on the Saturday morning, she purchases a…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw

octave, octavo, 18 more

through Old English eahta

aught, 7 more

Today it means

num A numerical value equal to 8; the number occurring after seven and before nine.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw / eight

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