cinq (French)

Where does "cinq" come from?

The French word 'cinq' traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European *pénkʷe, meaning 'five.' Through the Proto-Italic *kʷenkʷe and the Latin quīnque, the term underwent sound shifts that eventually led to the Old French 'cinc' and modern 'cinq.' Interestingly, this lineage shares a common origin with the English word 'five' and is considered a doublet of 'punch.'

Full etymology tree

• cinq (French), 'five'
  • inherited cinq (Middle French), 'five'
    • inherited cinc (Old French), 'five'
      • inherited cinque (Latin), 'alternative form of quīnque (with dissimilation of /kʷ–kʷ/ to /k–kʷ/)'
        • inherited quīnque (Latin), 'five; 5'
          • inherited *kʷenkʷe (Proto-Italic), 'five'
            • inherited *pénkʷe (Proto-Indo-European), 'five'

Ancestors

• cinq (Middle French)
• cinc (Old French)
• cinque (Latin)
• quinque (Latin)
• *kʷenkʷe (Proto-Italic)
• *pénkʷe (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

• punch (French)
• cinque (Italian)
• cinco (Spanish)

Descendants and derived words

• cinq à sept (French)
• cinq cents (French)
• cinq sur cinq (French)
• cinquante (French)
• cinquième (French)
• cinquième (French)
• senk (Haitian Creole)
• sink (Louisiana Creole)
• senk (Mauritian Creole)

Updated July 2026

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