four
The number 4; one more than three.
PIE *kʷetwóresView full root page →
Etymology
From Old English fēower, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr. This traces to PIE *kʷetwóres meaning "four." The initial kʷ- became f- in Germanic through Grimm's Law. Cognates appear in virtually every IE branch.
The Journey: *kʷetwóres → four
PIE~4500 BCE
*kʷetwóres
Proto-Germanic~500 BCE
*fedwōr
Old English~500 CE
fēower
Modern English~1500 CE
four
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *kʷetwóres. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | téttares |
| Latin | quattuor |
| Welsh | pedwar |
| Sanskrit | catvā́ras |
| Old Irish | cethair |
| Lithuanian | keturi |
Did You Know?
Latin quattuor gave English "quarter," "squad" (a group of four soldiers), and "quarantine" (originally 40 days — from Italian quaranta, built on the root for four).
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷetwóres. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.