English
index
Index comes from Latin index ‘informer; forefinger’, from dīcō ‘to say, indicate’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, indicate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindex‘discoverer, informer; forefinger’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602index
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to point out’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō‘to show’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō‘to say, indicate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEindex‘discoverer, informer; forefinger’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602index
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “Ay me, what act, that roars so loud and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out, to show’
teach, toe, token, digit, paradigm, syndicate, indicative, interdict, syndicalism, tache, 42 more
through Proto-Italic *deikō ‘to show, indicate’
through Latin dīcō ‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
predict, dictionary, dedication, preach, addict, dictator, dictate, contradictory, contradiction, ditto, contradict, dedicate, predicament, predicate, diction, ditty, dictum, dict, 23 more
through Latin index ‘a discoverer, informer, spy’
Today it means
noun An alphabetical listing of items and their location.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- / index