etymology - Why is it "thirteen" and not "threeteen"?
For example:
fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen
These are all number+teen
.
What is wrong with threeteen and fiveteen? Why are 13 and 15 written "differently"? Are they coming from third+teen
and fifth+teen
? If so, why were d
and h
removed? What is a "thir" and a "fift"?
I am utterly puzzled.
(not to mention eleven and twelve, which could have been oneteen and twoteen, but has been addressed here)
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