Where does “tweenage” come from?
tweenage (English) comes from English between, from Middle English betwene, from Old English betwēonum, from Old English be, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.
tweenage (English): Not yet a teenager (being less than thirteen years old), but starting to act like one
Definitions
- Not yet a teenager (being less than thirteen years old), but starting to act like one
Ancestry of “tweenage”, step by step
tweenage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English between
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | between | In the position or interval that separates (two things), or intermediate in quantity or degree. (See Usage notes below.) |
| 2 | Middle English | betwene | — |
| 3 | Old English | betwēonum | between, among, amid, in the midst, meanwhile;... |
| 4 | Old English | be | by |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English teenage
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | teenage | Brushwood for fences and hedges; Of or relating... |
| 2 | English | age | The whole duration of a being, whether animal,... |
| 3 | Middle English | age | The age of someone or rarely something; how old someone is |
| 4 | Old French | aage | age |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | aetaticum | age |
| 6 | Latin | aetās | the period of a life: lifetime, lifespan |
| 7 | Latin | aevitās | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | aiwotāts | age |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |