Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “teenage” come from?

Teenage derives from English teen plus the suffix -age, which comes from Middle English -age, Old French -age, and Latin -aticum, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂egʰ- meaning to drive or move.

teenage (English): Brushwood for fences and hedges; Of or relating...

Definitions

  1. Brushwood for fences and hedges; Of or relating...

Ancestry of “teenage”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishageThe whole duration of a being, whether animal,...
2Middle EnglishageAlternative form of awe; The age of someone ; the...
3Old Frenchaageage
4Vulgar Latinaetaticumage
5Latinaetās—
6Latinaevitās—
7Proto-Italicaiwotātsage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “teenage”

  • teenager
  • preteenage
  • teenagehood
  • preteenager
  • tweenage
  • teenagery
  • teenagerhood
  • teenagerish
  • teenagerdom
  • nonteenage
  • teenagerly
  • teenageritis
  • tweenagehood
  • subteenage
  • teenager
  • тинейджер
  • teenager
  • Teenager
  • ティーネージャー
  • tinejdžerica
  • тинејџер
  • tinejdžer
  • tinejdžerka
  • tenåringsdatter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →