forty

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈfoɹti/; /ˈfɔːti/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English fourty, inherited from Old English fēowertiġ,^[2][3][4] from fēower (“four”) and -tiġ (“group of ten”) (see four, -ty).^[2][3] Cognates are Old Saxon fiwartig, Dutch veertig, German vierzig, Old Norse fjórir tigir and Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌾𐌿𐍃 (fidwōr tigjus).^[2][5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The number forty: about 950 in the OED, about 750 in Genesis A in Barnhart;^[6][2] first in Middle English spelling in 1124.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Used loosely for a large number from 1607.^[6] Forty winks, a short nap, and forty pence as a customary wager are recorded;^[6] the forties, the years from 40 to 49, is from 1732.^[6] In the 14th century forty as a round number, rather than an exact one, was common, as in the forty days of Lent and Noah's flood.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 950 – the number.^[6]
• 1607 – a large number.^[6]
• 1732 – the forties.^[6]

Modern meaning

Number

1. The cardinal number equal to four times ten (40).

Noun

1. (forties) The numbers, years or ages from 40 to 49.

Word family

• fortieth
• fortyish
• fortypenny
• back forty
• forty winks
• roaring forties

Related words

• four
• -ty
• quarantine

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press