Where does “eleven” come from?
Eleven comes from Middle English elleven, from Old English endleofan, from Proto-Germanic ainalif, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European óynos meaning one.
eleven (English): The cardinal number occurring after ten and...
Definitions
- The cardinal number occurring after ten and...
Ancestry of “eleven”, step by step
eleven traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English hundendleftig
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hundendleftig | one hundred and ten |
| 2 | Old English | hund | dog; hundred |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hund | dog |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hundaz | dog |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱwn̥tós | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱwṓ | dog |
via Middle English elleven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | elleven | eleven |