tśi (Lower Sorbian)
Where does "tśi" come from?
The Lower Sorbian word 'tśi' shares a deep linguistic lineage with the English word 'three,' both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European *tréyes. This root moved through the Proto-Balto-Slavic *tríjes stage before evolving into the Proto-Slavic *trьje, eventually reaching its modern form. Some scholars suggest the ancient root was originally linked to the concept of the 'middle' or 'protruding' finger, highlighting a long human history of using our hands to define numerical foundations.
Full etymology tree
- tśi (Lower Sorbian), 'three (3)'
- inherited *trьje (Proto-Slavic), 'three'
- inherited *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic), 'three'
- inherited *tréyes (Proto-Indo-European), 'three'
- inherited *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic), 'three'
- inherited *trьje (Proto-Slavic), 'three'
Ancestors
- *trьje (Proto-Slavic)
- *tríjes (Proto-Balto-Slavic)
- *tréyes (Proto-Indo-European)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris