also teen age, teen-age; 1911, from teen + age (n.). Originally in reference to Sunday School classes. Teen-aged (adj.) is from 1922.
Entries linking to teenage
teen n.
"teen-aged person," 1818 (but rare before 20c.), from -teen. As an adjective meaning "of or for teen-agers," from 1947.
age n.
late 13c., "long but indefinite period in human history," from Old French aage, eage (12c., Modern French âge) "age; life, lifetime, lifespan; maturity," earlier edage (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *aetaticum (source also of Spanish edad, Italian eta, Portuguese idade "age"), extended form of Latin aetatem (nominative aetas), "period of life, age, lifetime, years," from aevum "lifetime, eternity, age" (from PIE root *aiw- "vital force, life; long life, eternity").
Expelled native eld (Old English eald) "old age; an age; age as a period of life." The meaning "time something has lived, particular length or stage of life" is from early 14c. Used especially for "old age" since early 14c.; the meaning "effects of old age" (feebleness, senility, etc.) is from mid-15c.
In geology, in reference to great periods in the history of the earth, by 1855; in archaeology, from 1865 (Stone Age, etc.) naming periods for the materials used to make weapons and tools. Sometimes in early modern English "a century" (similar to French siècle "century," literally "an age"), hence plural use in Dark Ages, Middle Ages. To act (one's) age "behave with appropriate maturity" is attested by 1927.
teenager n.
also teen ager, teen-ager; 1922, derived noun from teenage (q.v.). The earlier word for this was teener, attested in American English from 1894, and teen had been used as a noun to mean "teen-aged person" in 1818, though this was not common before 20c.