Where does “ஐம்பது” come from?

ஐம்பது (Tamil) comes from Tamil ஐ, from Proto-Dravidian *cay — five.

ஐம்பது (Tamil): fifty

Definitions

  1. fifty

Ancestry of “ஐம்பது”, step by step

ஐம்பது traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tamil ஐ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1TamilஐThe ninth vowel in Tamil
2Proto-Dravidian*cayfive

via Tamil பத்து

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilபத்துten (numeral: ௰)
Every word from Proto-Dravidian *cay →Every word from Tamil ஐ →