English
number
Number comes from Anglo-Norman noumbre, from Latin numerus ‘number’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nem- ‘to distribute; to give, take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nem-‘to distribute; to give, take’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nomezosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnumerus‘number’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400noumbre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500number
- Englishearliest quotation 1610same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nem-‘to distribute; to give, take’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nomezosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnumerus‘number’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400noumbre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500number
- Englishearliest quotation 1610same form
Earliest quotation: 1610, The Bible: That Is: “From twentie yeare old and above, all that go…”
The story
Distantly related (via Proto-Indo-European) to obsolete English nim (‘to take, seize’) and its Germanic cognates.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *nem- ‘to distribute, to give, to take’
nomadic, nomad, nim, nome, naam, enumeration, luma, enumerate, numismatics, unnumbered, 25 more
through Latin numerus
numerous, innumerable, numeric, numeral, numeracy, numero, numerator, 9 more
Today it means
noun Quantity of countable things.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *nem- / number