sixty etymology

Etymology:

  • Old English "sixtyne"
  • Proto-Germanic "*sahstis"
  • Proto-Indo-European "*séḱs-déḱm" (six and ten)

Meaning and Origin:

The word "sixty" originally meant "six tens" in Proto-Indo-European. This is reflected in its Germanic and Old English forms.

The number 60 has held significance in many cultures throughout history:

  • Babylonian mathematics: The Babylonians used a base-60 system, which influenced the development of mathematical systems in later civilizations.
  • Ancient Egypt: The ancient Egyptians divided the day into 24 hours, each consisting of 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds.
  • Classical Greece: The Greeks used a number system based on a counting board with 60 columns, called an abacus.
  • Roman Empire: The Romans adopted the Babylonian base-60 system for measuring angles, time, and weights.
  • Modern English: Sixty is still used as a cardinal number representing the quantity 60. It is also used in many idioms and phrases, such as "sixty-four squares" (chessboard), "sixty-five roses" (special occasion), and "getting on in years" (old age).

sixty relate terms

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  • sixty

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