Where does “eight” come from?

Eight comes from Old English ǣht, which blends Old English ā and Proto-Indo-European h₂eyḱ-, oḱtṓw, and h₂ekʷeh₂ denoting the number.

eight (English): A numerical value equal to 8; the number...

Definitions

  1. A numerical value equal to 8; the number...

Ancestry of “eight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisheighteeight
2Old Englisheahtaeight
3Proto-West Germanicahtōeight
4Proto-Germanicahtōueight
5Proto-Indo-Europeanoḱtṓweight
6Proto-Indo-Europeanaḱ-sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,...

Words derived from “eight”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European aḱ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw →Every word from Proto-Germanic ahtōu →