Where does “teen” come from?

Teen comes from Middle English tenen, from Old English tēon and tūn, tracing back through Proto-Celtic dūnom and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to shut or enclose.

teen (English): A teenager; Of or having to do with teenagers;...

Definitions

  1. A teenager; Of or having to do with teenagers;...

Ancestry of “teen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtenen—
2Old Englishtȳnanto slander, vex
3Proto-West Germanic*tūnijanto enclose, put a fence around

Words derived from “teen”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *tūnijan →Every word from Old English tȳnan →Every word from Middle English tenen →