Where does “one hundred and one” come from?

one hundred and one (English) comes from English hundred, from Middle English hundred, from Old English hundred, from Proto-West Germanic *hundarad, from Proto-Germanic hundaradą, from Proto-Germanic hundą, from Proto-Indo-European ḱm̥tóm, from Proto-Indo-European déḱm̥ — ten.

one hundred and one (English): A great many; numerous

Definitions

  1. A great many; numerous

Ancestry of “one hundred and one”, step by step

one hundred and one traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English hundred

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhundredA numerical value equal to 100 (102), occurring after ninety-nine
2Middle EnglishhundredA hundred; 100
3Old Englishhundredhundred
4Proto-West Germanic*hundaradhundred
5Proto-Germanichundaradąa great hundred; a hundred
6Proto-Germanichundąa great hundred; a hundred
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱm̥tómhundred
8Proto-Indo-Europeandéḱm̥ten

via English AND

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishANDAlternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;...
2Middle Englishandand, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;...
3Old Englishandand; even; also
4Proto-Germanicandiin addition, furthermore, and
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntiopposite; near; in front
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via English One

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOneThe number represented by the Arabic numeral 1; the numerical value equal to that cardinal number
2Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
3Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
4Proto-West Germanicanaon
5Proto-Germanic*an—
6Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana

Words derived from “one hundred and one”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European déḱm̥ →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱm̥tóm →Every word from Proto-Germanic hundą →