Where does “एक” come from?
एक (Old Hindi) comes from Sauraseni Apabhramsa एक्क, from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓, from Ashokan Prakrit 𑀏𑀓, from Sanskrit एक, from Proto-Indo-Aryan Háykas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háykas, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
एक (Old Hindi): one
Ancestry of “एक”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Sauraseni Apabhramsa | एक्क | one |
| 2 | Sauraseni Prakrit | 𑀏𑀓𑁆𑀓 | one |
| 3 | Ashokan Prakrit | 𑀏𑀓 | — |
| 4 | Sanskrit | एक | one; alone, solitary, single, happening only... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | Háykas | one |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Háykas | one |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |