*penkwe-

"collection of five," 1711, from French cinquain "bundle of five objects," from cinq "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five"). Originally in English of military orders of battle (five battalions drawn up in three lines); of five-lined stanzas of verse from 1882 (give a more specific form in English than usual in French).

"a group of five, five units treated as one," especially at cards or dice, late 14c., from French cinq, a dissimilation from Latin quinque "five," in Late Latin also cinque (from PIE root *penkwe- "five").

The Cinque Ports (late 12c. in Anglo-Latin, late 13c. in English) were Hastings, Sandwich, Dover, Romney, and Hythe, granted special privileges from the crown in return for defense of the Channel in the days before England had a navy. Cinque outposts (1640s) was an old term for the five senses.