twegen

Old English

Old English numbers ^(edit)

	20
←  1	2	3  →
Cardinal: twēġen     Ordinal: ōþer     Adverbial: tweowa     Age: twiwintre     Multiplier: twifeald

Alternative forms

• tƿēġen — wynn spelling

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *twai: cognate with Old Saxon and Old Dutch twēne, Old High German zwēne, whence archaic German zween, compare German zwei.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtweː.jen/

Adjective

twēġen

1. two
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Preface to Genesis"‎^[1]:

     God ġesċōp ūs twā ēagan and twā ēaran, twā nosþyrlu and twēġen weoloras, twā handa and twēġen fēt.

     God gave us two eyes and two ears, two nostrils and two lips, two hands and two feet.

Usage notes

• The masculine form twēġen was almost never used in complex numerals. Hence "twenty-two people" is twā and twēntiġ manna, not *twēġen and twēntiġ, and "the twenty-second person" is se twā and twēntigoþa mann, even though mann ("person") is a masculine noun.
• In poetry, neuter nouns were usually used with tū. However, in prose, they often occurred with twā instead, especially in Late West Saxon prose, where tū was almost completely absent.

Declension

Declension of twēġen — Strong only

Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	twēġen	twā	tū, twā
Accusative	twēġen	twā	tū, twā
Genitive	twēġa, twēġra	twēġa, twēġra	twēġa, twēġra
Dative	twǣm, twām	twǣm, twām	twǣm, twām
Instrumental	twǣm, twām	twǣm, twām	twǣm, twām

Descendants

• English: twain