nine
/naɪn/
numeral
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*newn — nine
Overview
Meaning Now
- The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of eight and one; the number following eight and preceding ten.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
nigon
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The word for nine is exceptionally stable across Indo-European languages, reflecting its fundamental role in early counting systems. It is phonetically related to words for 'new' in many languages, though this association remains a subject of linguistic debate.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*newn
“nine”
- Proto-Germanic
*newun
“nine”
- Old English
nigon
“nine”
- Middle English
nine
“nine”
Connections
Word parts
nine
root
nine
Related across languages
Latin
novem
nine
Greek
ennea
nine
Sanskrit
nava
nine
German
neun
nine
Explore next
Related to nine
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.