Where does “ninetysomething” come from?
ninetysomething (English) comes from English something, from Middle English somþyng, from Old English sum, from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic sumaz, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
ninetysomething (English): An indeterminate value between 90 (inclusive) and 100 (exclusive)
Definitions
- An indeterminate value between 90 (inclusive) and 100 (exclusive)
Ancestry of “ninetysomething”, step by step
ninetysomething traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English something
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | something | An uncertain or unspecified thing; one thing; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | somþyng | something |
| 3 | Old English | sum | some |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
via English ninety
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ninety | The cardinal number occurring after eighty-nine... |
| 2 | Middle English | nynty | ninety |
| 3 | Old English | hundniġontiġ | ninety |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | newuntēhundą | ninety |