Eleven

[ih-lev-uh n] /ɪˈlɛv ən/

noun
1.
a cardinal number, ten plus one.
2.
a symbol for this number, as 11 or XI.
3.
a set of this many persons or things, as a football team.
adjective
4.
amounting to eleven in number.
/ɪˈlɛvən/
noun
1.
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
2.
a numeral 11, XI, etc, representing this number
3.
something representing, represented by, or consisting of 11 units
4.
(functioning as singular or pl) a team of 11 players in football, cricket, hockey, etc
5.
Also called eleven o’clock. eleven hours after noon or midnight
determiner
6.

n.

c.1200, elleovene, from Old English endleofan, literally “one left” (over ten), from Proto-Germanic *ainlif- (cf. Old Saxon elleban, Old Frisian andlova, Dutch elf, Old High German einlif, German elf, Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlif), a compound of *ain “one” (see one) + PIE *leikw- “leave, remain” (cf. Greek leipein “to leave behind;” see relinquish).

FIREFLY: Give me a number from 1 to 10.
CHICOLINI: eleven!
FIREFLY: Right!

Viking survivors who escaped an Anglo-Saxon victory were daroþa laf “the leavings of spears,” while hamora laf “the leavings of hammers” was an Old English kenning for “swords” (both from “The Battle of Brunanburgh”). Twelve reflects the same formation. Outside Germanic the only instance of this formation is in Lithuanian, which uses -lika “left over” and continues the series to 19 (vienio-lika “eleven,” dvy-lika “twelve,” try-lika “thirteen,” keturio-lika “fourteen,” etc.) Phrase eleventh hour (1829) is from Matthew xx:1-16.