six English · revision 3655

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=835 (Old English sex)|origins=ine-pro *s(w)eks}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɪks/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|six]], [[inh|ang|siex]] (also [[m|ang|six]], earlier [[m|ang|sex]]),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[gem-pro|*seks]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from [[ine-pro|*s(w)eks|t=six]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Barnhart 1988) Its relatives include [[de|sechs]], [[nl|zes]], [[la|sex]], [[grc|ἕξ|tr=héx]] and Old Irish [[m|sga|sé]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) From the Latin and Greek come [[sextet]] and [[hexagon]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old English ''sex'', 835, and ''siex'', ''six'' before 899, in Alfred's translation of Orosius.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Sixteen'' and ''sixty'' go back to Old English.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) ''Sixth'' replaced the older ''sixte'' in 1526.^(Barnhart 1988) A playing card with six pips has been a ''six'' since the 1590s.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) ''At sixes and sevens'' comes from dicing.^(Cresswell 2021) Chaucer has ''to set on six and seven'' in ''Troilus and Criseyde'', probably altered from French ''cinque'' and ''sice'', the highest numbers on a die.^(Cresswell 2021) In cricket a hit over the boundary scores six, the image behind ''hit for six'' (early 20th century).^(Cresswell 2021) ''Six-footer'' is from 1828, ''six-shooter'' from 1842, and ''six-pack'' from 1952, of the abdominal muscles by 1995.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 835 – Old English ''sex''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 899 – ''siex'', ''six'' (Alfred).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1526 – ''sixth''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1590s – a playing card.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1842 – ''six-shooter''.^(Etymonline)

+ * early 20th century – ''hit for six''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1952 – ''six-pack''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[cardinal number]] one more than five.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A set or group of six.^(AHD)^(HTOED)

+ # A playing card or die face with six pips.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ # ''(cricket)'' A hit over the boundary, scoring six runs.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ===Determiner===

+ # Amounting to six.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[deep six]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sixth]]

+ * [[sixteen]]

+ * [[sixty]]

+ * [[sextet]]

+ * [[hexagon]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}