Where does “nine” come from?

nine (Middle English) comes from Old English nigon, from Proto-West Germanic nigun, from Proto-West Germanic neun, from Proto-Germanic newun, from Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥ — nine.

nine (Middle English): Alternative form of nyne

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of nyne

Ancestry of “nine”, step by step

nine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English nigon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnigonnine
2Proto-West Germanicnigun—
3Proto-West Germanicneunnine
4Proto-Germanicnewunnine
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁néwn̥nine

via Middle English nyne

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnynenine
2Old Englishniġonnine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥ →Every word from Proto-Germanic newun →Every word from Proto-West Germanic neun →
nine — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer