Etymologically
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decem

Etymology and origin of the Latin word decem

History
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin decem
English decimate

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈdɛ.kẽː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈdɛː.t͡ʃem][1]

Forms

decem (indeclinable)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *dekm, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ (“ten”).[2][1] The teens in -decim, such as ūndecim (“eleven”), probably take -dec- from decem and -im from the ordinals in -decimus.[2]

Cognate with Umbrian desen- (“ten”), Old Irish deich, Sanskrit दश (dáśa), Ancient Greek δέκα (déka), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌽 (taihun) and Tocharian B śak, all meaning “ten”.[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is attested from Plautus onwards,[2][3] who uses it for the number ten, as in isti sunt decem “these are ten”.[4]

Semantic evolution

Besides the exact number it was used for an indefinite round number, as in Caecilius' “if I had ten tongues”.[4][5] As a noun it could mean a board of ten men, and decem primi were the ten leading members of a town council.[4][6]

It survives in all Romance languages, as French dix, Italian dieci and Romanian zece.[3][1] Its derivatives include decimus “tenth”, December “the tenth month”, denarius and decuria.[2]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][7]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence mentions a dowry of ten talents.[4][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero mentions the decem primi of a town.[6][7]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil writes of the ten months of pregnancy.[4][7]

Meanings

Numeral

  1. Ten.[4][5]
  2. Ten as a round number, many.[4][5]
  3. (as a noun) The number ten; a board of ten men.[4]
  4. decem primi: the ten leading councillors of a town.[6][8]

Word family

  • decānus
  • decemprīmus
  • decemvir
  • decemiugis
  • decemmestris
  • decemmodius
  • decempeda
  • decemplex
  • decemplicō
  • decemprimatus
  • decemscalmus
  • decennis
  • decimus
  • December
  • dēnī
  • dēnārius
  • decuria
  • vīgintī
  • centum
  • English decimate
  • English December
  • English dime

Usage notes

It is indeclinable.[4][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  8. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.

Descendants

Related etymologies

  • aboleo · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • fingo · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • gustus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • dormio · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • dico · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • grex · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • ager · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • nepos · also from Proto-Indo-European
Cite this entry

“Decem.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/decem. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·