Where does “nineteen” come from?
Nineteen derives from Middle English nynetene, from Old English niġontēne, from Proto-Germanic newuntehun and tehun, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁néwn̥.
nineteen (English): The cardinal number occurring after eighteen and...
Definitions
- The cardinal number occurring after eighteen and...
Ancestry of “nineteen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nyntene | nineteen |
| 2 | Old English | niġontēne | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | newuntehun | nineteen |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | tehun | ten |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | déḱm̥t | ten |