Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

Answer 1

I think it should be. Makes sence to me, lets see if we can get congress to pass a resolution to change it. Oh, I forgot congress cannot get anything passed!

Answer 2

Here's my guess: in the language these (eleven and the other oddballs) were coined, they WERE like sixty-four, sixty-five, etc.

Being more common than higher numbers, the old-fashioned way of saying them hung around, were those of higher numbers changed as the language changed.

As I say, a guess, from having contemplated this question off and on for hours, and reading the other responses.

Sure hope someone who really knows comes here!

(I don't know why some people had to get all hankty about this question. It seems to be to be a perfect example of what this site is FOR.)

Answer 3

For the same reason 12 isn't pronouced onety two!

Answer 4

Because it all BEGAN with a counting system based on "ten". The terms "twenty", "thirty" etc. are derived from compound words meaning "two tens", "three tens", etc. There was hardly a need to begin with a term meaning "one ten" when we already had "ten".
http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?twenty

So the question we're left with is why we have this odd system from eleven to nineteen. Actually, thirteen to nineteen aren't so odd, since they simply mean "three and ten", "four and teen", etc. The order may be different from "twenty three", but the principle is the same.

So, what of "eleven" and "twelve"? The first part isn't too hard. "Eleven" goes back to Middle English "en-leven", whose first syllable is a relative of "an/ane" meaning "one", and the "tw-" of "twelve" gives away its connection to "two". So we can sort of see that these two have something to do with the system of counting by ten. In fact, the original meaning of these two words was "one left" and "two left" (after counting to ten).

Here's how it happened:
"What about the anomalous eleven and twelve? Why do we not say oneteen, twoteen along the same pattern as thirteen, fourteen, fifteen? Eleven in Old English is endleofan, and related forms in the various Germanic languages point back to an original Germanic *ainlif, "eleven." *Ainlif is composed of *ain-, "one," the same as our one, and the suffix *-lif from the Germanic root *lib-, "to adhere, remain, remain left over." Thus, eleven is literally "one-left" (over, that is, past ten), and twelve is "two-left" (over past ten)."
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=eleven

Finally, the reason "eleven" and "twelve" did not end up simply comforming to the "teen" pattern is that these were common, well-established forms. And it is precisely the common, everyday words that are LEAST likely to submit to "rules". (That's why the "irregular" past tense verb forms -- had, were, went, etc-- and irregular plural forms --men, mice, geese-- are almost always found with simple, common words.)

Of course, there were some alternative forms out there. We still use an alternative word for twelve -- "do-zen" itself shows us that (compare German "zehn")-- though it has gained its own special use (for a GROUPING of twelve). In fact, the fact that many things were divided into units of twelve also helps explain why eleven and twelve were treated differently. (Note that the use of twelve has ancient roots. See for example the Mesopotamian mathematical system, which used both six [and its double twelve] and ten --and gave us our 12 hours, 60 seconds, etc) That is NOT to say that these number names originated in counting by twelve, simply that the later USE of twelve contributed to the names' not being changed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duodecimal#Origin

Answer 5

IT IS. Why, I've been pronoucing it that way for at least ten or onety-one years now.

Answer 6

The languages I know of all have numbers from one to ten, and then they start,at some point, to call the numbers by some form of 10+ a digit. In English, we start at sixteen. ( We have fourteen, but then use fifteen which doesn't fit the rule).
In Spanish they also start at 16---diez y seis, diez y siete etc.
The Japanese start right off with 11--- ju-ichi, ju-ni, ju-san etc.
In German they start at 13 with dreizehn, fierzehn, funfzehn etc.
Curious how it all came about.

Answer 7

sounds logical lets change it then 12 can be onety two then onety three etc.....

Answer 8

You honestly did make me laugh out loud. I don`t do that nearly enough.
P.S I had to come back (it`s five minutes later) to tell you that I am still giggling. Great Joke!

Answer 9

the same reason 22 isn't pronounced twoy-two

Answer 10

Thanx for the laugh.