Etymograph

English

six

Six comes from Middle English six, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéḱsreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sehsreconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sehsreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150six
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500six
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1838six

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéḱsreconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sehsreconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sehsreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150six
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500six
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1838six

Earliest quotation: 1838, Francis Bisset Hawkins, Literature: “In Austria the prisoners rise at five, [...]. There…”

The story

Toilet sense predates military usage.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs

hexane, 16 more

Today it means

num A numerical value equal to 6; the number following five and preceding seven. This number of dots: (••••••).

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs / six

Shirt and support for this word