English
twain
Twain comes from Middle English tweyne ‘two’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwóh₁‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*twai‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*twai-‘two’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150twēġen‘two’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tweyne‘two’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598twain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwóh₁‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*twai‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*twai-‘two’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150twēġen‘two’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tweyne‘two’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598twain
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “Since I haue your good leaue to goe away,…”
The story
The word outlasted the breakdown of gender in Middle English and survived as a secondary form of two, then especially in the cases where the numeral follows a noun. Its continuation into modern times was aided by its use in KJV, the Marriage Service, in poetry (where it is commonly used as a rhyme word), and in oral use where it is necessary to be clear that two and not to or too is meant.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ‘two’
doubt, vice, defeat, dual, duo, vicious, diplomacy, binary, twin, dubious, duet, bis, disparate, biceps, deuce, bes, twig, binocular, betwixt, 21 more
through Proto-Germanic *twai ‘two’
through Proto-West Germanic *twai- ‘two’
Another origin of twain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500twaynen
- Englishtodaytwain
Today it means
num two
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ / twain