In the languages of my ancestors, for example, if someone was 14 years old, they would be “14 år gammal” in Swedish (14 years old) and “14 Jahre alt” in German (14 years old), but in Italian, they would say “ho 14 anni” (I have 14 years).
In the languages of my ancestors, for example, if someone was 14 years old, they would be “14 år gammal” in Swedish (14 years old) and “14 Jahre alt” in German (14 years old), but in Italian, they would say “ho 14 anni” (I have 14 years).
In Plattdeutsch, it’s Johr ik bün veerten Johr oold
I (be) am 14 years old?
https://www.etymonline.com/word/be
Might as well be a Dutch dialect at this point haha. It’s funny how the platt/plat dialects are kinda similar.
It did originate in the “low” countries around the Netherlands and Germany. The Mennonites took it with them when they left the Netherlands in the 1500s and it traveled with them to Prussia, then to Ukraine, and then to the Americas. I imagine it changes a little during those 500 years.