fünf (German)

Where does "fünf" come from?

The German word "fünf" traces its lineage back to the Proto-Indo-European "*pénkʷe," evolving through Proto-Germanic and Old High German as "fimf" into its modern form. This number is part of a deep historical family that includes English "five," Dutch "vijf," and Icelandic "fimm." Its origins are likely linked to ancient words for "fist" or "finger," reflecting how early human languages conceptualized counting through the hand.

Full etymology tree

• fünf (German), 'five (numerical value represented by the Arabic numeral 5; or describing a set with five elements)'
  • inherited vünf (Middle High German)
    • inherited fimf (Old High German), 'five'
      • inherited *fimf (Proto-West Germanic), 'five'
        • inherited *fimf (Proto-Germanic), 'five'
          • inherited *pémpe (Pre-Germanic)
            • inherited *pénkʷe (Proto-Indo-European), 'five'

Direct ancestors

• fimf (Old High German)
• vijf (Dutch)
• five (English)
• פֿינף (Yiddish)
• 𐍆𐌹𐌼𐍆 (Gothic)
• fimm (Icelandic)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris