Etymograph

English

eleventh

Eleventh comes from Middle English elleven ‘eleven’, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz ‘one’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ‘to stick’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyp-‘to stick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lībaną‘to remain, be left’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ainaz‘one’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ainalif‘eleven’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ainalifunreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150endleofan‘eleven’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elleven‘eleven’
  8. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500elleventhe
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2024eleventh

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyp-‘to stick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*lībaną‘to remain, be left’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ainaz‘one’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ainalif‘eleven’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ainalifunreconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150endleofan‘eleven’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elleven‘eleven’
  8. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500elleventhe
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2024eleventh

Earliest quotation: 2024, Brandon J. Weichert, Trumpmentum Is Real: Can He Win?: “Anyway, Trumpmentum is real. It is going to define…”

Formed from eleven + -th

Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ‘to stick’

…

Proto-West Germanic *ainalif

Proto-West Germanic *ainalifun

Old English endleofan

Middle English elleven

English eleven

The story

This re-formation replaced inherited forms such as ellefte, enlefte, from Old English endlefta, from Proto-Germanic *ainaliftô.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ‘to stick’

living, live, lib, lipid, lifeguard, lifeless, lipa, 15 more

through Proto-Germanic *lībaną ‘to remain, be left’

life, leave, alive, twelve, lively, lave, 10 more

through Proto-Germanic *ainaz ‘one’

an, one, no, only, any, none, 3 more

Today it means

adj The ordinal form of the number eleven.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leyp- / eleventh

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