“Centoquarantadue” is the Italian word for 142. Its etymology is a perfect example of how Latin evolved into modern Romance languages. It is a compound of three distinct parts:
1. Cento (Hundred)
* Latin Root: Centum.
* Evolution: Over time, the final “m” was dropped in Vulgar Latin.
* Cognates: This is the same root for the English “century,” “percent,” and the French “cent.”
2. Quaranta (Forty)
* Latin Root: Quadraginta.
* Breakdown: * Quadra- (related to quattuor, or four).
   * -ginta (a suffix denoting tens, similar to “-ty” in English).
* Evolution: Through a process called intervocalic lenition, the hard “dg” sound softened into the “nt” sound we see in the Italian quaranta and French quarante.
3. Due (Two)
* Latin Root: Duo.
* Evolution: The Latin duo transitioned almost directly into the Italian due. It stems from the Proto-Indo-European root *dwóh₁.
Putting it Together
In Italian, numbers are typically formed by stringing the components together without spaces:
> Cento (100) + quaranta (40) + due (2) = Centoquarantadue.
>
Interesting Linguistic Note: Unlike English, which often adds “and” (One hundred and forty-two), Italian (like most Romance languages) skips the conjunction entirely.