Definition of fortieth

The word "fortieth" originates from the Old English words "fyftig" and "ðæt", meaning "fifty" and "the", respectively. In the Middle Ages, English scribes used Roman numerals to denote numbers, with the symbol "XL" representing 40, which is a combination of the symbols for 40 ("X") and 10 ("L"). As English evolved, the word "fortieth" developed from a combination of the Old English "fyftig" and a Latin prefix "for-" which means "before" or "more". This prefix denoted a number that was just below the next higher multiple of 10. For example, the word "fourth" meaning the fourth in sequence came from the Latin prefix "qua" (meaning "how many") followed by the Roman numeral for IV. Thus, the term "fortieth" arose from the need to differentiate between numbers outside of the traditional multiples of 10 while still using the Latin prefix system that was common in English at the time. Today, the word's Latin roots are still apparent in its meaning, as it signifies a value that is located just before the next multiple of 10.