English
five
Five comes from Middle English fyf, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pénkʷereconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fimfreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame formreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fīf
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fyf
- Englishearliest quotation 2006five
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pénkʷereconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fimfreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame formreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fīf
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fyf
- Englishearliest quotation 2006five
Earliest quotation: 2006, Donald Ringe, Oxford: Oxford University Press: “The r-stems had apparently been reduced to the five…”
The story
The nasal *m in Proto-Germanic *fimf was lost through a sound change known as the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe
fifth, punch, finger, pentagon, pimp, quintet, quint, cinque, quine, 22 more
through Proto-West Germanic *fimf
Today it means
num A numerical value equal to 5; the number following four and preceding six.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe / five