eight-tenths
UK[ˌeɪt ˈtɛnθs]US[ˌeɪt ˈtɛnθs]
n
A fraction representing eight parts out of ten; 8/10.
n
A proportion or amount equal to eighty percent.
Morpheme Breakdown
eight
tenths
eight
number
tenths
ordinal number, plural
Etymology
The compound 'eight-tenths' is a transparent numerical construction in English, directly combining a cardinal number with a pluralized ordinal number to form a fraction. The first element, 'eight', has a deep Indo-European lineage, related to Latin octo and Greek oktō. The second element, 'tenths', derives from 'ten', another ancient numeral with cognates across Indo-European languages, combined with the ordinal suffix '-th'. The logic is purely arithmetic: 'eight' specifies the quantity of parts, while 'tenths' specifies the size of each part as one of ten equal divisions of a whole. This analytical method of forming fractions has been a consistent feature of English, creating a precise and readily understandable term for the proportion 0.8 or 80%.
Analysis
Structure: eight (number) + tenths (ordinal number, plural)
- eight: From Old English eahta, from Proto-Germanic ahtōu, from Proto-Indo-European oḱtṓw. Functions as the cardinal number.
- tenths: From Old English tēoþa (tenth), from tīen (ten) + ordinal suffix -þa. The '-s' indicates the plural form. Functions as the fractional ordinal number.
Examples
Approximately eight-tenths of the Earth's surface is covered by water.
The engineer estimated that eight-tenths of the project was already complete.
To solve the problem, convert the decimal 0.8 to the fraction eight-tenths.