fourth
UK[fɔːθ]US[fɔːrθ]
adj
coming after three other things in a series
n
one of four equal parts of something; 1/4
n
the fourth gear of a vehicle
Morpheme Breakdown
four
th
four
th
Etymology
The word "fourth" is a native English ordinal number derived from the cardinal "four". The suffix "-th" is a common Germanic device for forming ordinals, originating from the Proto-Germanic superlative suffix "-ithô". This construction follows the same pattern as "fifth", "sixth", and "tenth". The semantic logic is transparent: "fourth" literally means "position number four in a sequence", a direct combination of the quantity and its ordinal marker.
Analysis
Structure: four + th
"four" (from Old English "fēower", meaning the number 4, cardinal number). "th" (from Old English "-þa, -þe", an ordinal number-forming suffix).
Examples
she finished in fourth place in the marathon.
a fourth of the students voted against the proposal.
shift into fourth when you reach highway speed.