twice English · revision 2858

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 899|origins=ine-pro *dwo-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /twaɪs/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|twies]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from late [[inh|ang|twiges]], a variant of [[m|ang|twiga|t=two times]], twigea,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) with the adverbial genitive ending -es.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) It goes back to [[gem-pro|*twiyes]], the source also of Old Frisian twia and Old Saxon twio,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[ine-pro|*dwis-]], an adverbial form of [[ine-pro|*dwo-|t=two]].^(Etymonline) The final -s was voiceless, and so came to be spelled -ce, as in [[ice]] and [[once]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Two times, on two occasions: Old English twiga, before 899;^(Barnhart 1988) the form with -s is in the OED from about 1122.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “Two times as much”, “doubly”, is from 1308.^(OED 1989) ''Once or twice'' and ''twice or thrice'' for “a few times” are from before 1225.^(OED 1989) ''To think twice'' is from 1623, when “think twice, then speak” was already called an old proverb.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) ''Twice-told'' meant “counted twice” in Lydgate in the early 15th century;^(Etymonline) “told twice” is from Shakespeare's ''King John'' (1595).^(Etymonline) ''Twice'' replaced the phrase ''two times'' in nearly all its uses.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 899 – Old English twiga.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1122 – twies, two times.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1225 – ''once or twice''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1308 – two times as much.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1595 – ''twice-told'', told twice.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1623 – ''think twice''.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # On two [[occasion|alt=occasions]]; two times.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Twice as much; in [[double]] degree: ''twice as large''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[twicer]]

+ * [[twice-laid]]

+ * [[twice-told]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[two]]

+ * [[once]]

+ * [[thrice]]

+ * [[twin]]

+ * [[twig]]

+ * [[twilight]]

+ * [[between]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Nearly every use of ''two times'' can take ''twice'' instead.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}