The word "seventeens" is composed of two parts, "seventeen" and the plural suffix "-s". The pronunciation of "seventeen" is /ˌsɛvənˈtin/, with the stress on the second syllable. When adding the plural suffix "-s", the final consonant sound /n/ of "seventeen" becomes voiceless and the sound /s/ is added as the plural marker, resulting in the pronunciation /ˌsɛvənˈtinz/. The spelling of this word follows the typical English pluralization rule, adding the suffix "-s" to the singular form.
Seventeens is a plural noun that refers to a group of individuals who are each seventeen years old. The term stems from the cardinal number "seventeen," which denotes the quantity resulting from adding one unit to sixteen.
Used primarily to describe a specific age group, seventeens typically refer to teenagers entering their last year of high school, as the age of seventeen is commonly associated with this stage of education. During this period, individuals in the seventeens often experience various physical, emotional, and social changes as they transition into adulthood.
The term seventeens can also be used more broadly to encompass any group or collection of seventeen units or members. For instance, it may refer to a sports team consisting of seventeen players or a set of seventeen objects or elements.
In everyday language, seventeens may also be used colloquially to represent the year in which a person is seventeen years old. When referencing a specific year, the term "seventeens" can be used descriptively, such as "the fashion trends of the seventeens" to encapsulate the fashion styles popular during that era.
Overall, the term seventeens conveys a particular age group or collection of seventeen entities, often relating to the stage of adolescence or a specific time period associated with being seventeen years old.
The word "seventeens" is a derivative of the cardinal number "seventeen". The etymology of "seventeen" can be traced back to the Old English word "seofontyne", which is a combination of "seofon" (seven) and "tīene" (ten). The "tīene" element also comes from Proto-Germanic "tehun", meaning ten. The word "seofon" can be traced back to Proto-Germanic "sebun", ultimately originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *septm.