thirteenth-century
thirteenth-century
UK[ˌθɜːˈtiːnθ ˈsen.tʃər.i]US[ˌθɜːrˈtiːnθ ˈsen.tʃər.i]
adj
Relating to the period from the years 1201 to 1300.
Morpheme Breakdown
thirteenth
century
thirteenth
ordinal number
century
period of 100 years
Etymology
The compound adjective "thirteenth-century" is a modern English formation that precisely dates a period by combining an ordinal number with a unit of time. The first element, "thirteenth," traces its lineage back through Old English to the Proto-Indo-European root for the number three, reflecting the base-10 counting system. The second element, "century," originates from the Latin 'centum' for one hundred, a term firmly established in the Indo-European numeral system. When fused, these morphemes create a clear, logical descriptor where the ordinal specifies a particular iteration of the hundred-year cycle, a dating convention that became standardized with the widespread adoption of the Anno Domini calendar system.
Analysis
Structure: thirteenth (ordinal number) + century (period of 100 years)
- thirteenth: From Old English 'þreoteneoþa', a compound of 'þreotiene' (thirteen) and '-þa' (ordinal suffix). The root 'þreo' (three) is from Proto-Germanic þrīz, from Proto-Indo-European tréyes.
- century: From Latin 'centuria', meaning 'group of one hundred', from 'centum' (hundred), from Proto-Indo-European ḱm̥tóm.
Examples
The manuscript is a thirteenth-century copy of a much older text.
Thirteenth-century architecture in Europe is often classified as High Gothic.
This law has its origins in thirteenth-century common law principles.