twenty-third
Meaning
Constituting number twenty-three in a sequence; 23rd.
The person or thing in the twenty-third position.
One of twenty-three equal parts of something.
Structure
Usage
She celebrated her twenty-third birthday with a quiet dinner.
He finished in twenty-third place in the marathon.
Approximately a twenty-third of the total budget was allocated to research.
Etymology
The word 'twenty-third' is a modern English ordinal number formed by the combination of the cardinal number 'twenty' and the ordinal suffix 'third'. 'Twenty' derives from the Old English 'twēntig', a compound meaning 'two tens', reflecting the vigesimal counting system present in early Germanic languages. 'Third' stems from the Old English 'þridda', which shares a Proto-Indo-European root with Latin 'tertius' and Greek 'tritos', all meaning 'third'. The fusion of these elements follows the standard Germanic pattern for constructing ordinal numbers beyond 'twentieth', logically indicating the position following the twenty-second.
Analysis
'twenty' originates from Old English 'twēntig', meaning 'two tens', from a Germanic base. 'third' originates from Old English 'þridda', 'third', from a Germanic root.