twenty English · revision 4143

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 893|origins=ang twēntiġ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈtwen.ti/, US /ˈtwen.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|twenti]],^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) [[inh|ang|twēntiġ|t=group of twenty]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) a contraction of *twēgentig,^(Klein 1966) from twēgen “two” and -tiġ “group of ten”, the suffix [[-ty]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) The first element goes back to [[ine-pro|*dwóh₁|alt=*dwo-|t=two]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) It is cognate with Old Saxon twēntig, Old Frisian twintich, Dutch twintig, Old High German zweinzug and German zwanzig;^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Gothic twai tigjus, literally “two tens”, is even more transparent.^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) Hoad calls the first element obscure, comparing Old Norse tuttugu.^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) Middle Low German and Old Saxon stiga preserve a very old word for twenty, of unknown origin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Combined with the lower numerals, about 893 in the OED,^(OED 1989) and Old English before 899 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As a multiplier, ''twenty hundred'' for two thousand, it is from about 950, now obsolete.^(OED 1989) Used loosely for a large, indefinite number it is from about 1470.^(OED 1989) With years of age understood it is from 1773,^(OED 1989) and ''the twenties'', a decade, came later.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) ''Twenty questions'', the guessing game, is recorded from 1786,^(Etymonline) the card game ''twenty-one'' from 1790, from French vingt-et-un,^(Etymonline) and ''twenty-four hours a day'' from 1914.^(OED 1989) ''Twenty-twenty hindsight'' is recorded by 1962, from the Snellen fraction for normal sight, measured in feet.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 893 – twenty.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1470 – a large number.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1773 – twenty years of age.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1786 – ''twenty questions''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1914 – ''twenty-four hours a day''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1962 – ''twenty-twenty hindsight''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # The cardinal number equal to two times [[ten]]; 20.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''twenties'' The numbers or years from 20 to 29, especially of a century or of a person's age.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A twenty-dollar or twenty-pound note.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[twentieth]]

+ * [[twentysomething]]

+ * [[twenty-eight]]

+ * [[twenty-eighth]]

+ * [[twentyfold]]

+ * [[twenty-first]]

+ * [[twenty-four]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[two]]

+ * [[ten]]

+ * [[-ty]]

+ * [[score]]

+ * [[twice]]

+ * [[twain]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}