Where does “twelvemonth” come from?
Twelvemonth comes from Middle English twelmonth, from Old English twelfmōnþ, a compound of twelve and month literally meaning twelve months.
twelvemonth (English): A year
Definitions
- A year
Ancestry of “twelvemonth”, step by step
twelvemonth traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English twelve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | twelve | The cardinal number occurring after eleven and... |
| 2 | Middle English | twelve | twelve |
| 3 | Old English | twelf | twelve |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | twalif | twelve |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -lif | left over |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leyp- | to stick; fat or sticky substance |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |