Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “twelveish” come from?

twelveish (English) comes from English twelve, from Middle English twelve, from Old English twelf, from Proto-Germanic twalif, from Proto-Germanic -lif, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...

twelveish (English): Any time close to twelve o'clock

Definitions

  1. Any time close to twelve o'clock

Ancestry of “twelveish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtwelveThe cardinal number occurring after eleven and...
2Middle Englishtwelvetwelve
3Old Englishtwelftwelve
4Proto-Germanictwaliftwelve
5Proto-Germanic-lifleft over
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyp-to stick; fat or sticky substance
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlēy-to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēy- →