Where does “eighteen” come from?
Eighteen comes from Middle English ehtetene, from Old English eahtatīene, from Proto-Germanic ahtōutehun, which combined Proto-Germanic tehun with Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw and déḱm̥t.
eighteen (English): The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and...
Definitions
- The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and...
Ancestry of “eighteen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | eightetene | eighteen |
| 2 | Old English | eahtatīene | eighteen |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | ahtōutehun | eighteen |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ahtōu | eight |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | oḱtṓw | eight |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | aḱ- | sharp, pointed; sharp, pointed, edgy; sharp,... |