Where does “octave” come from?

Octave comes from Latin octavus, derived from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓwos, itself built from the root aḱ-.

octave (English): An interval of twelve semitones spanning eight...

Definitions

  1. An interval of twelve semitones spanning eight...

Ancestry of “octave”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinoctāvuseighth; the ordinal number between septimus and nōnus
2Proto-Italicoktāwoseighth
3Proto-Indo-Europeanoḱtṓwoseighth
4Proto-Indo-Europeanoḱtṓweight
5Proto-Indo-Europeanaḱ-sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,...

Words derived from “octave”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European aḱ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw →Every word from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓwos →