generally indeclinable if used adjectivally and preceding the noun, but generally in other cases declined; nom. acc. twelfe; gen. twelfa; dat. twelfum. Twelve. I. adjectival:--Ða twelf ðíne þeówas sind gebróðru, Gen. 42, 13. Wé twelf gebróðru wǽron ánes esnes suna, 32. Twelf (tuoelf altered from tuoelfo, Lind.: twelf, Rush.) tída ðæs dæges, Jn. Skt. 11, 9. Twelf wintra tíd, Beo. Th. 296; B. 147. Be twelf sealmum, R. Ben. 35, 6. Se tíreádga twelf síþum hine bibaþaþ, Exon. Th. 205, 2; Ph. 106: 202, 13; Ph. 69: Cd. Th. 285, 17; Sat. 339. Mid hys twelf leorningcnihtum (ðǽm twelfum ðegnum, Lind.: ðǽm twælf leorneras, Rush.), Mt. Kmbl. 26, 20. Ymbe twelf mónaþ post annum, L. Ecg. P. iIn the following instance the word is inflected:--Án ðæra twelfa Drihtnes ðegena, Homl. Th. ii. 242, 15. I a. where the numeral follows the noun:--Ðá ongan hé sendan hálige weoras and geornfulle twelfe holy men and diligent, twelve in number; viros sanctos et industrios . . . erant numero duo-decim, Bd. 5, 10; S. 623, 42. Hié getealdon féðan twelfe, Cd. Th. 192, 2; Exod. 235. Míne suna twelfe, Salm. Kmbl. 30; Sal. 15. II. substantival, (1) absolutely:--Twelfe wǽron dǽdum dómfæste, Apstls. Kmbl. 8; Ap. 4. Hé twelfa sum áð sealde cum undecim comparibus suis sacramentum fecit, Chart. Th. 203, 1. Hé com twelfa sum (cum duo-decim militibus), Bd. 3, 1; S. 523, 31. Gewát xii.-a sum, Beo. Th. 4793; B. 2401. Lond twelfum hérra fæðmrímes per bis sex ulnas eminet ille locus, Exon. Th. 199, 20; Ph. 28. Wé gefrunon twelfe under tunglum we have heard of twelve men beneath the stars, Andr. Kmbl. 3; An. 2. (2) with qualifying or defining words:--Hí twelfe (tuoelfo, Lind.), Lk. Skt. 8, 1. Hig twelfe (ða tuoelfo, Lind.) sǽdon him, 9, 12. Hé dyde ðæt hí twelfe mid him wǽron (ðætte hiá wére twelfo mið him, Lind.), Mk. Skt. 3, 14. Hine áxodon ða twelfe, 4, 10. Ealra twelfa, Beo. Th. 6322; B. 3171. Eom ic ðara twelfa sum ðe hé gelufade, Exon. Th. 144, 20; Gú. 681. Hé wæs án ðara twelfa (án of ðǽm twelfum, Lind.), Jn. Skt. 6, 71. Án of eów twelfum (ðǽm twelfum, Lind.), Mk. Skt. 14, 20. Hé ætýwde him twelfum (ðǽm tuoelfum, Lind.), 16, 14. Ðú ús twelfe trymman ongunne, Andr. Kmbl. 2837; An. 1421. Wé geségon eówre standan twelfe getealde, 1765; An. 885. In the following instance the word is not inflected:--Ðás twelf (tuelfe, Lind.: twælfe, Rush.) se Hǽlynd sende, Mt. Kmbl. 10, 5. [Goth. twalif: O. Sax. twelif: O. Frs. twelef, twilif, tolef: O. H. Ger. zwelif: Icel. tólf. These forms are declinable as in English.] twelf