Tuttugu

Tuttugu is the Icelandic word for the number twenty. It functions as a cardinal numeral and is used in counting, ages, dates, temperatures, and other measurements in modern Icelandic.

Etymology and cognates: Tuttugu derives from Old Norse tuttugu and is part of the North Germanic family of numerals. It has cognates in other Nordic languages, such as Danish tyve and Norwegian tyve (and Swedish tjugo), reflecting a common Germanic origin for the word.

Usage and forms: In Icelandic, twenty serves as the base for forming numbers in the twenties. Compound numbers from 21 to 99 are typically spoken as tuttugu and then the unit, connected by og (for example, tuttugu og einn for twenty-one, tuttugu og fimm for twenty-five). Tuttugu is also used when giving ages and in dates, such as tuttugu ára gamall to say someone is twenty years old. The word is used in standard written and spoken Icelandic and remains a common, neutral term for the quantity twenty.

See also: Numbers in Icelandic; Icelandic language; Nordic languages.