ten (English)

Where does "ten" come from?

The English noun ten traces its lineage back through Middle English 'ten' and Old English 'tīen'[1]. Going further back, the word descends from Proto-West Germanic '*tehun' and Proto-Germanic '*tehun'[1]. These forms ultimately root back to the Proto-Indo-European ancestral form '*déḱm̥'[1].

Open questions

The exact internal structure of the Proto-Indo-European root is unknown, though it possibly contains '*ḱm̥t-' derived from '*ḱómt' meaning 'hand'. [4]
The Proto-Germanic form '*tehun' may alternatively derive from an earlier form '*tehunt' originating from Proto-Indo-European '*déḱm̥t'. [5]

Full etymology tree

ten (English), 'A set or group with ten elements.'
- inherited ten, tene (Middle English)
  - inherited tien (Old English), 'ten'
    - inherited *tehun (Proto-West Germanic), 'ten'
      - inherited *tehun (Proto-Germanic), 'ten'
        inherited *déḱm̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'ten'
        derived *ḱm̥t- (Proto-Indo-European)
        inherited *ḱómt (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

ten (Middle English)
tien (Old English)
*tehun (Proto-West Germanic)
*tehun (Proto-Germanic)
*déḱm̥ (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

tiin (North Frisian)
tjoon (Saterland Frisian)
ten (Scots)
tsien (West Frisian)

Descendants and derived words

a hundred and ten percent (English)
at ten and two (English)
Bayard of ten toes (English)
card of ten (English)
catch the ten (English)
count to ten (English)
feel ten feet tall (English)
five and ten (English)
five-and-ten (English)
five will get you ten (English)
four score and ten (English)
grade ten (English)

Sources

Updated September 2026

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