ninety etymology

Etymology

The word "ninety" comes from the Old English word "nigontig," which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "niwuntygō." The Proto-Germanic word is itself a compound of the words "newun" (nine) and "*tigō" (ten).

Meaning and Origin

The word "ninety" means the number 90, which is nine times ten. It is the ninth multiple of ten and the tenth counting number in the tens place.

The Proto-Germanic word "*niwuntygō" was first used to refer to the number 90 in the 8th century CE. It was borrowed into Old English and later into Middle English as "nigontig." The spelling was changed to "ninety" in the 16th century, under the influence of Latin "nonaginta."

Usage

The word "ninety" is used in a variety of contexts, including:

• To indicate the number 90
• To describe something as being very old or experienced
• To exaggerate or overstate something

Examples

• The house is ninety years old.
• He's ninety years old and still going strong.
• I've told you ninety times to clean your room.

ninety relate terms

• nine

  Origin Old English nigon from Proto West Germanic newun from Proto Germanic newu

• nines

  Etymology Old English nigon Proto Germanic niwun Proto Indo European néwn̥

• nineties

  Etymology The term nineties is an abbreviation of the 1890s decade Meaning Nineti

• ninety

  Etymology The word ninety comes from the Old English word nigontig which is derived

• nonagenarian

  Etymology The word nonagenarian is derived from the Latin words nona nine and g

• hundredth

  Etymology Old English hund r eðe Proto Germanic hundaraðaz Proto Indo European root

• Blighty

  Etymology The term Blighty originated from the Indian word bilāyatī which means

• hundred

  Etymology The word hundred comes from the Old English word hundrēd meaning group

• case

  Etymology The word case derives from the Old French word cas which in turn comes fro

• precarious

  Etymology The word precarious comes from the Late Latin word precarius meaning obt

• humble

  Etymology The word humble comes from the Latin word humilis which means low or on

• perdition

  Etymology Late Latin perditio destruction ruin from the verb perdere to destroy

• sanguine

  Etymology Latin sanguis blood Indo European krew blood raw flesh Meaning

• shambles

  Etymology Middle English schamel from Old North French eschamel escamel from Medieva