thirteen etymology

Etymology

The word "thirteen" comes from the Old English word "þrēotēne," which is a combination of the Proto-Germanic numbers "þrī-" (meaning "three") and "-tēhun" (meaning "ten").

Meaning

Thirteen is the cardinal number representing the quantity 13. It is one more than twelve and one less than fourteen.

Origin

The concept of thirteen as a number likely evolved from early counting systems that used the human body as a reference point. The ten fingers and two feet formed the basis for the decimal system, and the number thirteen represented the addition of three additional fingers.

Other Etymologically Related Words

  • Thirty: Old English "þrītig" (three tens)
  • Thirteen: Old English "þrēotēne" (three tens)
  • Thirty-one: Old English "þrēo and þrītig" (three and thirty)
  • Thirty-two: Old English "twā and þrītig" (two and thirty)
  • Thirty-three: Old English "þrīe and þrītig" (three and thirty)

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