fem (Danish)
Where does "fem" come from?
The Danish word 'fem' traces its roots back to the ancient Proto-Indo-European term 'pénkʷe', representing the number five. It evolved through the Proto-Germanic 'fimf' and Old Norse 'fimm' before settling into its modern Danish form. Scholars believe the original root likely relates to the concept of the hand or fingers, reflecting how early speakers counted using their own anatomy.
Full etymology tree
- fem (Danish), 'five'
- inherited fimm (Old Norse), 'five'
- inherited *fimf (Proto-Germanic), 'five'
- inherited *pémpe (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *pénkʷe (Proto-Indo-European), 'five'
- inherited *pémpe (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *fimf (Proto-Germanic), 'five'
- inherited fimm (Old Norse), 'five'
Ancestors
- fimm (Old Norse)
- *fimf (Proto-Germanic)
- *pénkʷe (Proto-Indo-European)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris