quatre-vingts

From quatre (“four”) and vingt (“twenty”), both of which are derived from Latin. The vigesimal pattern of expressing 80 as 4×20, however, is of Celtic origin; see, for example, Irish fichead. (The Latin for 80 is octōgintā.)

• IPA^(key): /ka.tʁə.vɛ̃/

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quatre-vingts m (plural quatre-vingts)

1. eighty, 80

   Synonym: huitante (Switzerland)

• When used in a compound, the form quatre-vingt is used.
• The term huitante is used in some French-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

• octante
• huitante
• quatre-vingt

• “quatre-vingts” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).