twenty-fourth
Meaning
Constituting number twenty-four in a sequence; 24th.
The person or thing in the twenty-fourth position.
One of twenty-four equal parts of something.
Structure
Usage
She celebrated her twenty-fourth birthday with a quiet dinner.
The amendment is famously known as the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
He finished the race in twenty-fourth place, just outside the points.
Etymology
The word "twenty-fourth" is a transparent compound in Modern English, directly combining the cardinal number "twenty" with the ordinal suffix "fourth". Its first element, "twenty", originates from the Old English twēntig, meaning "two tens" or a score, reflecting the ancient Germanic vigesimal counting system. The second element, "fourth", derives from Old English fēorþa, applying the common Germanic ordinal suffix "-th" to the number four. The compound's formation follows the standard English pattern for ordinals above twenty, where the tens place remains in cardinal form and only the final digit takes the ordinal suffix, creating a logical and consistent numerical descriptor.
Analysis
- twenty: From Old English twēntig, meaning "group of twenty". A compound of twēn- (variant of twegen, "two") and -tig (a suffix denoting "group of ten"). - fourth: From Old English fēorþa, fēowerþa, the ordinal form of fēower ("four"), with the suffix -þa (equivalent to modern "-th") indicating ordinal number.