a. and sb. Forms: 1 endleofan, -lufon, -lyfon, -an, ellefne (Northumb. ællefne), 3–4 endlevene, -leve, -luve, 3–5 enleve(n(e, -levyn, (3 enlovene, 4 onlevene), elleve(n(e, -evin, -yven, (3 ællevene, eolleve), 5–7 elevyn, (5 eleivan), aleven, -eaven, -euyn, 5– eleven, (6 Sc. allevin, alewin, 9 dial. ellebn, eleeben, lebn). [Common Teutonic: OE. ęndleofon corresponds to OFris. andlova, elleva, OS. elleban (MDu. elleven, Du. elf), OHG. einlif (MHG. eilf, Ger. elf), ON. ellifu (Sw. ellifva, elfva, Da. elleve), Goth. ainlif:—OTeut. *ainlif- f. *ain- (shortened from *aino-) ONE + -lif- of uncertain origin. Outside Teutonic the only analogous form is the Lith. vënó-lika, where -lika (answering in function to Eng. -teen) is the terminal element of all the numerals from 11 to 19.
The OE., OFris., OS. and ON. forms represent a type *ainlifun, app. assimilated to *tehun TEN. The theory that the ending is a variant of OTeut. *tehun, Aryan *dekm TEN, is now abandoned; some would derive it from the Aryan root *leiq or from *leip (both meaning to leave, to remain) so that eleven would mean ‘one left’ (after counting ten.)]
The cardinal number next after ten, represented by the symbols 11 and xi.
A. adj.
1. In concord with a sb. expressed.
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda, V. xviii. (Bosw.). Osred ðæt rice hæfde endleofan wintra.
a. 1000. Andreas (Gr.), 664. Næs þær folces ma … Nemne ellefne orettmæcgas.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xxxii. 22. [Jacob] nam his wif mid hira endlufon sunum.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 2725. Onlevene thousand of our meyné.
1382. Wyclif, Acts i. 26. Mathi … was noumbrid to gidere with enlevene apostlis.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 227. Thou hast hanged on myn hals elleuen tymes.
c. 1400. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 216. I have had ther-to lechys aleven, and they gave me medysins all.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 342. More then enleve mele.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., cii. 82. And this mysauenture dured enleuen yere and moo.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 4509. The ȝeir of oure Saluatioun Alewin hundreth and sax and fyftie.
1591. Horsey, Trav. (1857), 188. Aleaven of his … servants.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., III. vi. 6. Eleuen houres I haue spent to write it ouer.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 229. Nor the Height above ten or eleven [Feet] at most.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, iii. Wks. VIII. 301. Eleven days they had the full use of Bantry Bay.
1887. Ruskin, in Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Sept., 3/2. Humanity … had reduced itself to see no more than eleven eyes in a peacock’s tail!
2. With ellipsis of sb., which may usually be supplied from the context. The Eleven: sc. disciples; also, a body of executive officers at Athens.
c. 1205. Lay., 14531. Bi tene & bi ælleuene [c. 1275 enlouene].
c. 1275. O. E. Misc., 55. He seyde to his apostles . hi weren elleouene.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 298. In þe þousend ȝer of grace, and endleuene þerto.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4119. An was eildest o þe elleuen.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 343. Sex score and enleuene.
1591. Garrard, Art Warre, 130. When they passe a leven or twelve they are not to be accompted an aray.
1611. Bible, Luke xxiv. 33. And found the eleuen gathered together.
1814. Byron, Juan, I. xlix. At six a charming child, and at eleven with all the promise of as fine a face.
1849. Grote, Hist. Greece, V. II. lxii. 427. They were handed over to the magistrates called the Eleven.
b. esp. sc. hours: as eleven o’clock, etc.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. xx. 6. About a leuen of the clocke.
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. ii. 252. Vpon the Platforme twixt eleuen and twelue Ile visit you.
1759. Compl. Letter-Writer (ed. 6), 227. The Ball continued its Briskness and vivacity … ’till about Eleven.
1803. R. Anderson, Cumbrld. Ball., 67. When the clock strack eleeben.
B. as sb.
1. The abstract number eleven.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IX. iv. (1495), 349. Thryes enleuen makyth thre and thyrty.
1547. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., 123. Nyne, ten, aleuyn, twelue.
2. A set of eleven persons; esp. a set of eleven players forming ‘a side’ at cricket or football.
c. 1800. in Etoniana, v. 95. The eleven of football and the eleven of cricket.
1885. Truth, 28 May, 836/2. Such a county should … produce a few bowlers to maintain the credit of its eleven.
† 3. In phrase, By the elevens! (of uncertain origin). Obs.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., II. i. By the Elevens, my place is gone quite out of my head.
C. Comb., as elevenfold adj. and adv.; eleven-pointer, a stag whose horns show eleven points. Also eleven-o’-clock (see A. 2 b) used attrib. or as adj. in eleven-o’-clock lady, eleven-o’clock wind (see quots.).
1557. Recorde, Whetst., B ij. Vndecupla 11 to 1: 22 to 2: 33 to 3, aleuenfolde.
1803. E. L. Peel, in Longm. Mag., Nov., 74. A grand eleven-pointer … standing out alone.
1879. Prior, Plant-n., Eleven o’clock lady, Fr. dame d’onze heures, from its waking up and opening its eyes so late in the day, the star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum, L.).
1888. Pall Mall Gaz., 9 July, 8/2. A stiff breeze … called … ‘eleven o’clock wind’—that is to say, supposing the target to be marked like the dial of a clock, the wind would blow … in the direction of the figure 11.
Hence Elevener, Elevens (dial.), an eleven-o’clock meal, a luncheon.
1865. W. White, E. Eng., II. 197. I commonly has a drop [of ale] for my elevens; but I can manage a pint o’ a’ternoons besides.
1875. Parish, Sussex Dial., Elevener, a luncheon.
