Where does “sixteen” come from?

sixteen (Middle English) comes from Middle English sixtene, from Old English sixtēne, from Proto-Germanic sehstehun, from Proto-Germanic tehun, from Proto-Indo-European déḱm̥t — ten.

sixteen (Middle English): Alternative form of sixtene

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of sixtene

Ancestry of “sixteen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsixtenesixteen
2Old Englishsixtēne—
3Proto-Germanicsehstehunsixteen
4Proto-Germanictehunten
5Proto-Indo-Europeandéḱm̥tten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European déḱm̥t →Every word from Proto-Germanic tehun →Every word from Proto-Germanic sehstehun →