Where does “ex” come from?
ex (Middle English) comes from Old English æx, from Old English æces, from Proto-West Germanic akusi, from Proto-Germanic akwisī, from Proto-Indo-European h₂egʷs-ih₂-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ- — sharp.
ex (Middle English): Alternative form of ax
Ancestry of “ex”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | æx | an axe, used as a weapon or cutting-tool |
| 2 | Old English | æces | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | akusi | axe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | akwisī | axe |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂egʷs-ih₂- | axe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |