eight
The number 8; one more than seven.
PIE *oḱtṓwView full root page →
Etymology
From Old English eahta, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōu. This traces to PIE *oḱtṓw meaning "eight." Some linguists analyze this as a dual form meaning "two sets of four," linking it to *kʷetwóres "four."
The Journey: *oḱtṓw → eight
PIE~4500 BCE
*oḱtṓw
Proto-Germanic~500 BCE
*ahtōu
Old English~500 CE
eahta
Modern English~1500 CE
eight
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *oḱtṓw. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | oktṓ |
| Latin | octō |
| Gothic | ahtau |
| Sanskrit | aṣṭā́ |
| Old Irish | ocht |
| Lithuanian | aštuoni |
Did You Know?
Latin octō gave English "October" (originally the eighth month), "octopus" (eight-footed), and "octave" (an interval of eight notes in music).
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *oḱtṓw. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.