hexadecimal (English)

Where does "hexadecimal" come from?

The English noun 'hexadecimal' first appeared in 1952[1]. It is formed by combining the prefix 'hexadeca-' with 'decimal'[1]. The latter traces back through Late and Medieval Latin 'decimalis'[2] and Latin 'decimus'[2], ultimately leading to the Proto-Indo-European root '*déḱm̥' meaning 'ten'[3].

Open questions

The Proto-Indo-European form '*dé1%m̥' has an uncertain origin and may possibly contain '*1%m̥t-' derived from '*1%ómt' meaning 'hand'. [5]
The Proto-Italic form '*dekəmos' was secondarily created by analogy, displacing the older Proto-Indo-European form. [3] [6]

Full etymology tree

hexadecimal (English), 'A number system with base sixteen, using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F, most used in computing as a hexadecimal digit can represent four bits, half a standard byte, and thus a single byte can be represented conveniently with two digits.'
- compound hexadeca- (English), 'sixteen'
- compound decimal (English), 'Concerning numbers expressed in decimal or mathematical calculations performed using decimal.'
  - borrowed decimalis (Latin), 'decimal'
    - affix decimus (Latin), 'tenth; the ordinal number after nonus and before undecimus'
      - inherited *dekəmos (Proto-Italic), 'tenth'
        derived *dekəm (Proto-Italic), 'ten'
        inherited *déḱm̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'ten'
        derived *ḱm̥t- (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *ḱómt (Proto-Indo-European)
        influenced by *septəmos (Proto-Italic), 'seventh'
        influenced by *nowənos (Proto-Italic), 'ninth'
    - suffix -alis (Latin), 'Suffixed to nouns or numerals creating adjectives of relationship.'

Ancestors

decimal (English)

Descendants and derived words

hexadecimally (English)
hexadecimal time (English)
hexit (English)
nonhexadecimal (English)

Sources

Updated October 2026

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