sex

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsɛks]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsɛks]^[1]

Forms

sex (indeclinable)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *seks (“six”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ueks (“six”).^[2][1] Proto-Italic dropped the /w/ of *sweks by analogy with *septm̥ “seven”.^[2] In sēdecim “sixteen” and sēnī “six each” the /ks/ was lost before a voiced consonant with lengthening of the vowel.^[2]

Cognate with Old Irish sé (“six”), Sanskrit षष् (ṣáṣ, “six”), Avestan xšuuaš (“six”), Ancient Greek ἕξ (héx, “six”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍃 (saihs, “six”) and English six.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2][3] as in sex minae, “six minas”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It was always the number six.^[5] Sex menses, “six months”, meant half a year, and sex septem “six or seven”.^[6][7] The spelling sexs is common in inscriptions.^[5][4]

It survives as Italian sei, French six, Spanish and Portuguese seis and Romanian șase.^[1] English sice, a six at dice, came from it through Old French in the late 14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][4][3]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses sex menses, “six months”.^[4][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[6][3]
• late 14th century – English sice comes from it through Old French.^[8]

Meanings

Numeral

1. Six.^[5][1]

Word family

• sēiugis
• sēmēnstris
• sēnī
• sēpēs
• sescentī
• sēvir
• sexangulus
• sexātrūs
• sexennis
• sexennium
• sexiens
• sexpertītus

Related words

• English six

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 c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
7. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com