Fifteenth

a. and sb. Forms: 1 fífteiðe, –éoða, –é(o)ȝða, 3 fiftéoða, south. viftethe, vyfteoþe, 3–4 fiftend(e, 4 south. vyfteoþe, 6 Kent vifftend, 4–7 fiftenth(e, (4 fiftenþe, 5–6 fyfte(n)th(e, (6 -teenth), 6–7 fivete(e)nth, 6– fifteenth. [OE. fíftéoða (fem. and neut. -e], f. fífténe FIFTEEN on the analogy of téoða TENTH. From the 14th c. the forms descending from the OE. become rare, being superseded by a new formation on FIFTEEN + -TH, which still remains. A third form of the ordinal, fiftend(e, appears in the Ormulum, Hampole and the Cursor Mundi, and appears to be due to Scandinavian influence; cf. ON. fimtánde (Sw. femtonde, Da. femtende). The other Teut. langs. agree with the ON. in having the ordinal suffix as -d- instead of -þ-; OFris. fîftînde, OS. *fifteindo (Du. vijftiende), OHG. funfzêndo MHG. vünfzehende, mod.Ger. fünfzehnte), Goth. fimfta-taihunda (= fifth + tenth).] The ordinal numeral belonging to the cardinal fifteen.

  A.  adj.

  1.  In concord with sb. expressed.

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xxvii. [xxvi.] (1891), 358. Þy fifteȝðan ȝeare.

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., III. 190. Mone se fifteoȜa.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 9170. Onn hiss fiftende winnterr.

1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 522. The viftethe peni of hor god.

1382.  Wyclif, Num. xxviii. 17. In the fiftenthe day.

a. 1440.  Sir Degrev., 1869.

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Kings xiv. 23. In the fyftenth yeare of Amasias.

1749.  Fielding, Tom Jones, XV. xii. And here we put an end to the fifteenth book.

1851.  Ruskin, Stones Ven. (1874), I. i. 30. Dull inventions of the fifteenth century.

  2.  With ellipsis of sb.

1641.  Milton, Ch. Govt., I. vi. 25. A councell, from which by any thing that can be learnt from the fifteenth of the Acts, no faithful Christian was debarr’d.

1753.  N. Torriano, Gangr. Sore Throat, 125. She having had a very bad Night from the Fourteenth to the Fifteenth.

  3.  Fifteenth part: one of fifteen equal parts into which a quantity may be divided.

1626.  Bacon, Sylva, § 798. A Fiftenth Part of Siluer, incorporate with Gold, will not be Recouered by and Water of Separation.

1662.  Graunt, Bills of Mortality, vii. 42. London … bear[s] the fifteenth part of the charge of the whole Nation in all Publick Taxes.

  B.  sb.

  1.  A fifteenth part; esp. in Eng. Hist. A tax of one-fifteenth formerly imposed on personal property.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Eng. Wks. (1880), 66. Men supposen alle þes passen þre fiftenþes.

1496–7.  Act Hen. VII., c. 12 (title), An Acte for Fyftenthes and Tenthes.

1518.  MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp., Canterb., Payd for ij wrytys for alowans off þe vifftend.

1647.  N. Bacon, Discourse of the Laws & Government of England, I. lxiv. (1682), 133. After he had gotten his Army into the field, he took a fifteenth which was granted to his Father.

1765.  Blackstone, Comm., I. I. viii. 298. Tenths and fifteenths were temporary aids … granted to the king by parliament.

1879.  Castle, Law of Rating, 21. The collectors of the tenths and fifteenths granted to the King in the City of London.

  2.  Mus. a. (see quot. 1876.) b. (see quot. 1880.)

  a.  1597.  Morley, Introd. Mus., 71. An eight, a twelfth, a fifteenth … and so forth … be perfect cordes.

1609.  Dolland, Ornith. Microl., 79. Others are tripled, to wit, a fifteenth, which is equall to the sound of an Vnison, and an Eight.

1876.  Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms, Fifteenth. The interval of a double octave.

  b.  1613.  Organ Specif. Worcester Cathedral. In the choir organ … 1 smal principal or fiftenth of mettal.

1776.  Sir J. Hawkins, Hist. Music, IV. I. x. 149. Of the stops of an organ, the most usual are the Diapasons … Tenth, Twelfth, Fifteenth [etc.].

1880.  Grove, Dict. Mus., Fifteenth is a stop or set of pipes in an organ sounding 2 octaves or 15 notes above the Open diapason.

  Hence Fifteenthly adv., in the fifteenth place.

a. 1642.  Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, III. (1704), 322/1. Fifteenthly, They ought to take Account of all Store-keepers once every Year.

1691–8.  Norris, Pract. Disc. (1711), III. 170. When he shall yet further consider Fifteenthly.