What About Eleven and Twelve?
$1.12
A spelling graphic to show the connection to spelling and meaning from the Old English roots of these two number words.
Description
What about eleven and twelve? Did you ever wonder why we didn’t name these numbers one-teen and two-teen when they’re just like thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…?
I did. Here’s the scoop: Old English to Middle English to our Present-Day English words.
These words have a Germanic origin and their Old English spellings reflect the meaning of “one left” after 10 and “two left” after 10.
Looking at these in Etymonline.com and then in the Oxford English Dictionary online, it’s interesting to see how many different forms there were of the Old English spelling and Middle English spelling of these two number words.
Old English spellings weren’t standardized. The spelling variations were often regional and they existed even among those in the same area. Without a dictionary, without a printing press, who was to say what was “correct” English spelling?
But what I love is that in the etymology (a word’s history and origin) there are clues to the meaning and connections to our Present-Day English spelling. We know there is a connection with <f> and <v>.
Look at:
- leave & left
- believe & belief
- five & fifteen
- calf & calves
- twelve & twelfth
Notice what your lips are doing when you say /f/ and when you say /v/. Where does the air flow? What distinguishes /f/ from /v/?
Connections, Connections, Connections.
Happy Spelling!
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