- two
- O.E. twa, fem. and neut. form of twegen "two" (see twain), from P.Gmc. *twai (cf. O.S., O.Fris. twene, twa, O.N. tveir, tvau, Du. twee, O.H.G. zwene, zwo, Ger. zwei, Goth. twai), from PIE *duwo (cf. Skt. dvau, Avestan dva, Gk. duo, L. duo, O.Welsh dou, Lith. dvi, O.C.S. duva, first element in Hittite ta-ugash "two years old"). Twofold is O.E. tweofeald. Dance style two-step is recorded from 1900. Twofer is first recorded 1911 (originally in ref. to cigars), from two for (a dollar, etc.). Two-faced "deceitful" first recorded 1619. Two cheers for _____, expressing qualified enthusiasm first recorded 1951 in E.M. Forster's title "Two Cheers for Democracy." Two-dimensional is recorded from 1883; fig. sense of "lacking substance or depth" is attested from 1934.