six

A numerical value equal to 6; the number following five and preceding seven. This many dots: (••••••).

it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six

Sranan Tongo: siksi

Aukan: siksi

→ Wayana: siksi

Saramaccan: sigisi

From Middle English six, from Old English six, from Proto-West Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs. Compare West Frisian seis, Dutch zes, Low German söss, sess, German sechs, Norwegian and Danish seks, also Latin sex, Ancient Greek ἕξ (héx), Sanskrit षष् (ṣaṣ). Doublet of sice. Toilet sense predates military usage.


six

In Austria the prisoners rise at five, [...]. There are morning prayers at a quarter to six, after which the prisoners are conducted to work.

1838, Francis Bisset Hawkins, chapter XIII, in Germany: The Spirit of Her History, Literature, Social Condition and National Economy, Illustrated by Reference to Her Physical, Moral and Political Statistics, etc., →OCLC, page 228:

cover my six

Just as having an enemy on your “six” is the hardest situation to escape, being on an enemy at six o'clock is the surest kill. Fighter pilots are always practicing maneuvers to get out from having another aircraft on their six.

2009, Bill Yenne, Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-scoring American Aces of World War II, Penguin, →ISBN, page 98:

(military slang, by ellipsis of six o'clock) Rear, behind (rear side of something).

England required 15 from the last over of the regular match. Ben Stokes hit a six and benefited when a throw from the deep hit him and went for four overthrows.

2019 July 14, Stephan Shemilt, “England win Cricket World Cup: Ben Stokes stars in dramatic finale against New Zealand”, in BBC Sport, London:

(cricket) An event whereby a batsman hits a ball which does not bounce before passing over a boundary in the air, resulting in an award of 6 runs for the batting team.

(obsolete) Small beer sold at six shillings per barrel.

Table of cardinal numbers 0 to 9 in various languages


six

Haitian Creole: sis

Louisiana Creole: sis

Mauritian Creole: sis

Inherited from Middle French six, from Old French sis, six, from Latin sex, from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs.
The numbers six and dix (“ten”), as well as the pronoun tous (“all”), are remnants of the Old and Middle French pronunciation system where final -s or -x was silent before consonants, pronounced /z/ before vowels, and /s/ in pausa. The only change is that the pausal pronunciation is now invariably used when these words do not precede their referent.


six

English: six

Sranan Tongo: siksi

Aukan: siksi

→ Wayana: siksi

Saramaccan: sigisi

Scots: sax, sex, six

Yola: zeese

From Old English six, from Proto-West Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs.


six

desctree

French: six
Haitian Creole: sis
Louisiana Creole: sis
Mauritian Creole: sis

Norman: six


six

Six s'maïnes avant Noué, et six s'maïnes après, les nits sont les pûs longues, et le jours les pûs freds.

1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore, page 533:

Six weeks before Christmas and six weeks after, the nights are the longest and the days the coldest.

From Latin sex, from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs.


six

late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History
Đās cāseres rīċes ðȳ tēoðan ġēare Gregorius sē hālga wer, sē was on lāre ⁊ on dǣde sē hēhsta, feng tō bisċophāde þǣre Rōmanisċan ċyriċan ⁊ þǣs apostolīċan seðles: ⁊ þæt heold ⁊ reahte þrēottēno ġēr ⁊ syx mōnað ⁊ tȳn dagas.

In the tenth year of this emperor's reign, the holy man Gregorius, who was the greatest in learning and in deeds, rose to the bishophood of the Roman church and the apostolic see; and he held and directed that office for thirteen years, six months, and ten days.

Middle English: six, cex, sex, zix (Kent)
English: six
Sranan Tongo: siksi
Aukan: siksi
→ Wayana: siksi
Saramaccan: sigisi
Scots: sax, sex, six
Yola: zeese

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Germanic *sehs, from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs.


six

w:International Civil Aviation Organization

radiotelephony clear code
w:NATO phonetic alphabet

(international standards) NATO & ICAO radiotelephony clear code (spelling-alphabet name) for the digit 6.