devet (Serbo-Croatian)
Where does "devet" come from?
The Serbo-Croatian word 'devet,' meaning nine, descends from the Proto-Slavic term '*devętь.' Its ultimate lineage traces back to the ancient Proto-Indo-European root '*h₁néwn̥.' This root has sparked fascinating academic debates, with theories linking its origin to notions of being a "new" number, a concept of "lack," or perhaps an early influence from the word for "ten."
Full etymology tree
- devet (Serbo-Croatian), 'nine (9)'
- inherited *devętь (Proto-Slavic), 'nine'
- inherited *h₁néwn̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'nine'
- influence *néwos (Proto-Indo-European), 'new'
- influence *en (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *h₁enu- (Proto-Indo-European)
- influence *h₁new (Proto-Indo-European)
- influence ἄνευ (áneu) (Ancient Greek), 'without'
- influence *h₁new (Proto-Indo-European)
- influence *desętь (Proto-Slavic), 'ten'
- inherited *h₁néwn̥ (Proto-Indo-European), 'nine'
- inherited *devętь (Proto-Slavic), 'nine'
Ancestors
- *devętь (Proto-Slavic)
- *h₁néwn̥ (Proto-Indo-European)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris