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
- A numerical value equal to 8; the number...
Ancestry of “eight”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | eighte | eight |
| 2 | Old English | eahta | eight |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ahtō | eight |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ahtōu | eight |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | oḱtṓw | eight |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | aḱ- | sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,... |
Words derived from “eight”