eleven English · revision 7674

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 900|origins=gem-pro *ainlif}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ɪˈlɛv.ən/ ''(UK)''; /əˈlɛv.ən/, /i-/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English elleovene, enleven, [[inh|ang|endleofan]], literally one left over ten,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Proto-Germanic *ainlif-, a compound of *ainaz, [[one]], and *lif-, from the root of [[leave]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from PIE [[ine-pro|*leykʷ-|alt=*leikw-|t=to leave]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) It is cognate with Old Saxon elleban, Old Frisian andlova, Dutch and German [[m|de|elf]], Old Norse ellifu and Gothic ainlif.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The number: before 900, in Alfred's translation of Bede;^(Barnhart 1988) about 890 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ [[twelve|alt=Twelve]] reflects the same formation.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) Outside Germanic the only parallel is in Lithuanian, which uses -lika, left over, as in vienuolika, eleven, and dvylika, twelve, and continues the series to nineteen.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Use without a noun is from about 1205.^(OED 1989) A team of eleven players, as in cricket, is from 1743.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) A mid-morning snack, ''eleven o'clock'' or in Scots ''eleven hours'', is dialect from 1805.^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 900 – endleofan.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1205 – without a noun.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1743 – a team of eleven.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1805 – eleven o'clock, a snack.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # The [[cardinal]] number that is ten plus one.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A team of eleven players, as in [[football]] or [[cricket]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[eleventh]]

+ * [[elevenses]]

+ * [[eleven-plus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[twelve]]

+ * [[one]]

+ * [[leave]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}