thirty
thirty
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "thirty" is /ˈθɜːrti/.
First Syllable: /θɜːr/
/θ/ - voiceless dental fricative (as in "think")
/ɜː/ - open-mid central unrounded vowel (as in "nurse")
/r/ - alveolar approximant (as in "red")
Second Syllable: /ti/
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive (as in "top")
/i/ - close front unrounded vowel (as in "see")
Word Form Variations
"Thirty" primarily functions as a number and can take on different grammatical roles depending on its use.
Cardinal Number: thirty (e.g., "There are thirty students.")
Ordinal Number: thirtieth (e.g., "This is the thirtieth day of the month.")
Noun: thirties (referring to the decade or age range, e.g., "He's in his thirties," "The roaring twenties and thirties.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
1. The cardinal number equivalent to the sum of ten and twenty; one more than twenty-nine; 30.
Example: "The small village had a population of just over thirty people."
Synonyms: n/a (as a specific number, it has no direct synonyms)
Antonyms: n/a
2. A group or set consisting of thirty units or members.
Example: "We ordered a thirty of new books for the library."
Synonyms: three dozen (informal, approximate), large quantity (general)
Antonyms: handful, few, small quantity
3. (often "the thirties") The decade from 1930 to 1939, or the age range from 30 to 39 years old.
Example: "She fondly remembered her adventurous escapades in the thirties."
Synonyms: 1930s (for the decade), prime (for age range, if implying peak), young adulthood (more general)
Antonyms: childhood, old age, 1920s, 1940s
Adjective
1. Being the cardinal number thirty; amounting to 30.
Example: "He made a thirty-foot jump over the hurdle."
Synonyms: n/a
Antonyms: n/a
Examples of Use
Books:
"The last thirty years have been a period of immense change in global politics," (Kissinger, Henry. World Order. September 2014).
Newspapers:
"The county council approved the budget by a vote of thirty to five," (The Daily Herald).
Online Publications:
"In an article discussing modern architecture, an online publication noted, 'Over thirty new skyscrapers are slated for construction in the city center by 2030,'" (ArchDaily.com).
Entertainment Mediums (Film):
In the film Apollo 13, Mission Control famously announces, "We have a thirty-degree yaw right," (April 1995).
Entertainment Platforms (Music):
A song might feature the lyric, "I've been waiting for you for thirty days and thirty nights." (Lyrics from "30/30-150" by Stone Sour, October 2002).
General Public Discourse:
During a community meeting, a resident might state, "We need at least thirty volunteers to make this cleanup successful."
General Public Discourse:
A sports commentator might say, "The basketball player scored thirty points in the final quarter."
Entertainment Mediums (Television):
A news anchor might report, "The stock market closed up thirty points today," (CNN).
10 Quotes Using Thirty
"At thirty years of age the Will reigns; at thirty the Wit; at thirty the Judgment." (Benjamin Franklin)
"When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste: Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow, For precious friends hid in death's dateless night, And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe, And moan th' expense of many a vanish'd sight; Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before. But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restor'd, and sorrows end." (William Shakespeare, Sonnet 30)
"So they paid me thirty pieces of silver." (Zechariah 11:12, NIV)
"When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders." (Matthew 27:3, NIV)
"Everything I know I learned after I was thirty." (Georges Clemenceau)
"You don't have to be a man to fight for freedom. All you have to do is be a human being, with a thirty-eight-caliber mind." (Malcolm X)
"I'm thirty years old, and I've learned that life is a balance of holding on and letting go." (Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet)
"My advice to young people is to be yourself, be bold and brave and try not to get married until you are at least thirty." (Madonna)
"What you haven't done by thirty you're not likely to do." (John Updike, Rabbit, Run)
"And he was about thirty years of age when he began, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli." (Luke 3:23, KJV)
Etymology
The word "thirty" has a long history, tracing its roots back to the very old Germanic languages. It's essentially a combination of "three" and "ten," meaning "three tens."
Its journey goes like this:
Old English: The word was "þrītiġ" (pronounced something like "threetig"). Here, "þrī" meant "three" and "-tiġ" was a way to say "group of ten" or "times ten."
Middle English: It then evolved into "thriti" or "þrittiȝ." Over time, the sounds shifted a bit, leading to a "metathesis," which means the order of sounds changed. This is where the "r" sound moved, resulting in "thirty" rather than something like "threeti."
Proto-Germanic: Even further back, the word came from a reconstructed ancestor language called Proto-Germanic, where it was "þrīz tigiwiz", literally meaning "three tens." This shows how the concept of grouping by tens for counting is very old.
The first known use of the word "thirty" in English dates back to the Old English period, which is before 1150 AD. Its initial meaning was exactly what it is today: the cardinal number equivalent to three times ten, or one more than twenty-nine.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Thirty
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "thirty":
At thirty paces: From a distance of thirty steps; often used in the context of duels or challenges.
The Dirty Thirties: A historical term referring to the 1930s in North America, particularly in relation to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.
Thirty-something: Referring to someone who is in their thirties, generally between the ages of 30 and 39.
Thirty-thousand-foot view: A metaphorical phrase meaning a broad, high-level perspective on a situation, similar to looking down from an airplane.
A thirty-day notice: A common term in contracts, especially for rentals or employment, requiring one party to inform the other thirty days in advance of termination.
A thirty-piece band: Referring to a musical ensemble composed of thirty musicians.
Thirty minutes or less: A phrase popularized by pizza delivery services, indicating a guaranteed delivery time.
Thirty-three and a third: Refers to the revolutions per minute (RPM) of a long-playing (LP) record.
Beyond thirty: Too old or experienced for a particular role or activity (often used informally and sometimes pejoratively).
Give it thirty: To dedicate significant effort or attention to something, implying a thorough commitment (original phrase).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of thirty from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
