entry
fourth
/fɔrθ/Ordinal number following third; one of four parts
From Proto-Indo-European four (four) + Proto-Germanic th (ordinal-forming suffix).
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Proto-Germanic *fedurþô, equivalent to four + -th (ordinal suffix).
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
Word Ancestry
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Proto-Germanic *fedurþô, equivalent to four + -th (ordinal suffix).
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
from Middle English fourthe, an alteration (due to four) of ferthe
Long before “fourth” settled into its modern spelling, English speakers said something closer to Old English fēorþa—and medieval scribes wrote ferthe. Then four itself barged into the word and remodeled it, producing Middle English fourthe: a small spelling change with a surprisingly large historical footprint. The same ancient numerical root behind four also surfaces in Latin quattuor, French quatre, Spanish cuatro, and English quarter, while a farthing was literally a “fourth part” of a penny. By 1777, Americans were already treating “the Fourth of July” as a national anniversary, just one year after independence. So whenever you say fourth, you are carrying both a counting word and a tiny grammatical suffix—four wearing its ordinal badge.
The Story
Long before “fourth” settled into its modern spelling, English speakers said something closer to Old English fēorþa—and medieval scribes wrote ferthe. Then four itself barged into the word and remodeled it, producing Middle English fourthe: a small spelling change with a surprisingly large historical footprint. The same ancient numerical root behind four also surfaces in Latin quattuor, French quatre, Spanish cuatro, and English quarter, while a farthing was literally a “fourth part” of a penny. By 1777, Americans were already treating “the Fourth of July” as a national anniversary, just one year after independence. So whenever you say fourth, you are carrying both a counting word and a tiny grammatical suffix—four wearing its ordinal badge.
Modern Usage
Online slang for a master troll on message boards; also one-quarter of an ounce, especially in drug-related usage.
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries for “Fourth”
Kin & Kindred
From 'four'·four
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'th'·ordinal-forming suffix
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary