Etymograph

English

indexation

Indexation comes from French indexer ‘to index’, from Latin index ‘pointer, indicator’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-1‘to point out, to show’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱeti1‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikō1‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcō1‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindicō2‘point out, show’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindex2‘pointer, indicator’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentindex3
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentindexer4‘to index’
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentindexation5
  10. Englishtodayindexation5

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin indico
  2. 2 Wiktionary, French index
  3. 3 Wiktionary, French indexer
  4. 4 Wiktionary, French indexation
  5. 5 Wiktionary, English indexation

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-Wiktionary, Latin indico‘to point out, to show’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déyḱetiWiktionary, Latin indico‘to be pointing out’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*deikōWiktionary, Latin indico‘to show, indicate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdīcōWiktionary, Latin indico‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindicōWiktionary, French index‘point out, show’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEindexWiktionary, French index‘pointer, indicator’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentindexWiktionary, French indexer
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentindexerWiktionary, French indexation‘to index’
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentindexationWiktionary, English indexation
  10. EnglishtodayindexationWiktionary, English indexation

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to point out, to show’

teach, toe, token, digit, syndicate, indicative, interdict, syndicalism, tache, 32 more

through Proto-Italic *deikō ‘to show, indicate’

contradiction, interdiction, 16 more

through Latin dīcō ‘to say, talk, speak, utter, mention’

predict, preach, addict, dictionary, dictator, dictate, ditto, contradictory, dedication, predicament, contradict, dedicate, predicate, ditty, dictum, diction, dict, 24 more

through Latin index ‘pointer, indicator’

indicate, indicator, indication, indicia, 4 more

Today it means

noun The adjustment of an economic variable (such as a salary) according to an index (such as that of inflation).

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “indexation”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin indico, French index, French indexer, French indexation. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- / indexation

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