thirty-four

UK: ˈθɜːti fɔː | US: ˈθɜːrti fɔːr

Definition

  1. adj. the number 34 in numerical form

  2. n. the quantity or count of 34 items

Structure
thirty <30, from Old English "þrītig">four <4, from Old English "fēower">
Etymology

The word "thirty-four" is a compound numeral formed by combining "thirty" (derived from Old English "þrītig," meaning three tens) and "four" (from Old English "fēower"). This structure follows the Germanic pattern of numeral formation, where tens and units are concatenated without a conjunction (unlike "four and thirty" in older English or modern German "vierunddreißig"). The logic is straightforward: 30 (thirty) + 4 (four) = 34.

Examples

  1. She scored thirty-four points in the basketball game.

  2. The recipe requires thirty-four grams of sugar.

  3. There are thirty-four students in my class.

  4. The train departs at thirty-four minutes past the hour.

  5. He celebrated his thirty-fourth birthday last week.