dix (French)

Where does "dix" come from?

The French word 'dix' traces its lineage back to the ancient Proto-Indo-European root *déḱm̥, meaning 'ten.' It evolved through Latin as 'decem' and Old French as 'dis' before settling into its modern form. This long historical path highlights its deep connection to a wide family of related number words across many languages.

Full etymology tree

• dix (French), 'ten'
  • inherited dis (Old French), 'ten'
    • inherited decem (Latin), 'ten; 10'
      • inherited *dekem (Proto-Italic)
        • inherited *déḱm̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'ten'
  • influence six (French), 'six'

Ancestors

• dis (Old French)
• decem (Latin)
• *déḱm̥ (Proto-Indo-European)

Descendants and derived words

• dixième (French)
• dixième (French)
• un de perdu, dix de retrouvés (French)
• une de perdue, dix de retrouvées (French)
• dis (Haitian Creole)
• dis (Louisiana Creole)
• dis (Mauritian Creole)

Updated July 2026

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