Where does “тысяча” come from?
тысяча (Old East Slavic) comes from Proto-Slavic tỳsęti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *tū́ˀsantis, from Proto-Indo-European tuHsont-, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
Ancestry of “тысяча”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | tỳsęti | — |
| 2 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | *tū́ˀsantis | thousand |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | tuHsont- | thousand |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |