Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “decennial” come from?

Decennial comes from Latin decennialis, formed from Latin decem meaning "ten," which derives from Proto-Indo-European déḱm̥.

decennial (English): The tenth anniversary of an event or happening;...

Definitions

  1. The tenth anniversary of an event or happening;...

Ancestry of “decennial”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latindecennialis—
2Latin-enniumforming periods of years
3Latin-ennis—
4Latinannusyear; time; season
5Proto-Italicatnosyear
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂et-no-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂et-grass

Words derived from “decennial”

  • decennially
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂et- →