six (English)

Where does "six" come from?

The English word 'six' descends directly from Middle English 'six' and Old English 'six'[1][2][3]. These forms trace back through Proto-West Germanic '*sehs' and Proto-Germanic '*sehs' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*swéḱs'[1][2][3]. This ancient numerical term shares deep historical connections with numerous cognates across the Indo-European language family, including Latin 'sex', Ancient Greek 'ἕξ', and Sanskrit 'षष्'[5].

Open questions

Some researchers propose that the original Proto-Indo-European form was '*wéḱs', with the initial '*s-' being a secondary addition or substitution related to the word for seven. [4]

Full etymology tree

six (English), 'A numerical value equal to 6; the number following five and preceding seven. This number of dots: (••••••).'
- inherited six (Middle English), 'six'
  - inherited six (Old English), 'six'
    - inherited *sehs (Proto-West Germanic), 'six'
      - inherited *sehs (Proto-Germanic), 'six'
        derived *swehs (Proto-Germanic)
        inherited *swéḱs (Proto-Indo-European), 'six'

Ancestors

six (Middle English)
six (Old English)
*sehs (Proto-West Germanic)
*sehs (Proto-Germanic)
*swéḱs (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

ἕξ (Ancient Greek)
seks (Danish)
zes (Dutch)
sice (English)
sechs (German)
sex (Latin)
söß (Low German)
षष् (Sanskrit)
seis (West Frisian)

Descendants and derived words

all sixes and nines (English)
all sixes and sevens (English)
at six and seven (English)
big six (English)
big six (English)
deep-six (English)
double-six (English)
drive a coach and six through (English)
five-six (English)
grade six (English)
half-past-six (English)
have got someone's six (English)

Sources

Updated September 2026

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