Where does “twelve” come from?
Twelve comes from Old English twelf, from Proto-Germanic twalif, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning "two."
twelve (English): The cardinal number occurring after eleven and...
Definitions
- The cardinal number occurring after eleven and...
Ancestry of “twelve”, step by step
twelve traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English twelve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | twelve | twelve |
| 2 | Old English | twelf | twelve |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | twalif | twelve |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -lif | left over |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |
via Old English hundtwelftig
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hundtwelftig | 120; one hundred and twenty |