“Who decided” – like most word constructions, it probably wasn’t consciously decided upon by a single person but rather evolved out of existing phrases.
In this case, the Latin root nona- for ninth was extended with the -gin- / -gen- infix used for multiples of ten (viginti = 20, triginta = 30 and so on) to form the root nonaginti / nonageni for ninety / “per ninety”. The infix -ari- indicates an adjective/description (nonagenarius = “having ninety”), with the suffix -an indicating a representative noun.
Together, nonagenarian refers to “someone with ninety of something” as a logical composition of existing language elements, all of which you’ll find elsewhere too. It will probably have evolved naturally by people slapping on parts to describe something and others picking it up because it made sense. From there, it made its way into English as Latin words tend to.
If anything, we ought to appreciate that the “years” part of that composition is omitted, lest we would need to include something related to anni, maybe nonagenanniarian which would be even longer and more complex.
As to why people use it: Sometimes, a single descriptive noun or adjective is less ambiguous that multi-word structures. Sometimes, people want to mix up how they refer to things and use different words. Sometimes, people just want to sound erudite.
And sometimes, people pick up speech habits without much thinking about it, because they’re used to people understanding it. You didn’t, but congratulations: you learned a new word!
The Romans did or at least they created the base word structures. Primus, secundus, tertius, quartus, et cetera could all be compounded with the suffix genarian to create an age bracket specific word. For example I am a secundagenarian.
Completely off topic, but had to look up what a nonagenarian is, and what a useless word. Who decided we needed such a long word to say “in their 90s”
Completely off topic, but had to look up what a teenager is, and what a useless word. Who decided we needed such a long word to say “in their teens”
who’s in their teens here don’t you have to be 18+??? (I don’t really think 18 or 19 year olds to be in their teens)
“Who decided” – like most word constructions, it probably wasn’t consciously decided upon by a single person but rather evolved out of existing phrases.
In this case, the Latin root nona- for ninth was extended with the -gin- / -gen- infix used for multiples of ten (viginti = 20, triginta = 30 and so on) to form the root nonaginti / nonageni for ninety / “per ninety”. The infix -ari- indicates an adjective/description (nonagenarius = “having ninety”), with the suffix -an indicating a representative noun.
Together, nonagenarian refers to “someone with ninety of something” as a logical composition of existing language elements, all of which you’ll find elsewhere too. It will probably have evolved naturally by people slapping on parts to describe something and others picking it up because it made sense. From there, it made its way into English as Latin words tend to.
If anything, we ought to appreciate that the “years” part of that composition is omitted, lest we would need to include something related to anni, maybe nonagenanniarian which would be even longer and more complex.
As to why people use it: Sometimes, a single descriptive noun or adjective is less ambiguous that multi-word structures. Sometimes, people want to mix up how they refer to things and use different words. Sometimes, people just want to sound erudite.
And sometimes, people pick up speech habits without much thinking about it, because they’re used to people understanding it. You didn’t, but congratulations: you learned a new word!
No one made it up explicitly, it just follows the formula for the rest of the decade age words like octagenarian
Octagenarian, what a useless word. Let me know when you start looking at the sexagenarians. Oh baby!
The Romans did or at least they created the base word structures. Primus, secundus, tertius, quartus, et cetera could all be compounded with the suffix genarian to create an age bracket specific word. For example I am a secundagenarian.
You got a problem with it? What are you, some kind of trenagenarian?
No! I’m a teenagemutantninjaterian thank you very much!