English word origin

Etymology of i

From Latin i, minuscule of I.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

character

The ninth letter of the English alphabet, called i and written in the Latin script.

noun

The name of the Latin script letter I/i.

num

The ninth numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called i and written in the Latin script.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Latin i, minuscule of I.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionila

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "i"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin i"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "i",
      "i/languages A to L#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "minuscule",
      "minuscule"
    ],
    [
      "I",
      "I#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "character",
      "glosses": [
        "The ninth letter of the English alphabet, called i and written in the Latin script."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "letter",
        "lowercase"
      ],
      "recordId": "1ebc8f64bf05956824a397cde3310470c2bfc71a46881ec986f83304dcb72d3b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "e4f4b3c8775d01541f17ac11e945f484fd19a5a8ee7370e167d5744b98c4139b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5119
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The name of the Latin script letter I/i."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c769d755a643f76296709ca4e6d50b673fbe335965d4c1fe1602d37a1ff7f91d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "16513f2c5905b7d43aeeb1692ef5c3f629b1a09eeccc632912e74237ff075d01",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5121
    },
    {
      "pos": "num",
      "glosses": [
        "The ninth numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called i and written in the Latin script."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "lowercase"
      ],
      "recordId": "ee45e29db5a2c4263905139c8b548c286eb5d562a6c8bf9573eff18b025f19cd",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b7afc29efd0e2059785ba5861834a2049fd14246fea9e7a5fb614d32c8fae2e9",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5120
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

pron

Alternative letter-case form of I.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Old English iċ.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionicang

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ic",
        "4": "iċ"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English iċ"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "iċ",
      "ic#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "pron",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative letter-case form of I."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "nonstandard"
      ],
      "recordId": "b839783efb91b07f3f13bd00a715acbf4aaff2b8ca46921f482b767d617ffe3c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "aad350ad61ff5267df54f38e38d663e49351db4995f081b0672804d5814343b6",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5122
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for i →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-aQ