Where does “kilkadziesiąt” come from?

kilkadziesiąt (Polish) comes from Polish kilka, from Old Polish kilko, from Proto-Slavic koliko, from Proto-Slavic kolikъ — how big.

kilkadziesiąt (Polish): a few tens, an unspecified number seemingly...

Definitions

  1. a few tens, an unspecified number seemingly...

Ancestry of “kilkadziesiąt”, step by step

kilkadziesiąt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Polish kilka

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishkilkamore than two but less than ten; several; few
2Old Polishkilkomore than two but less than ten; several; few
3Proto-Slavickolikohow much, how many; neuter of *kolikъ
4Proto-Slavickolikъhow big

via Polish dziesięć

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishdziesięćten
2Proto-Slavic*dȅsętьten
Every word from Proto-Slavic kolikъ →Every word from Proto-Slavic koliko →Every word from Old Polish kilko →