dozen

dozen · noun¹

1. Latin · derived fromduodecim“twelve”
2. Old French · derived fromdozaine“a group of twelve”
3. Middle English · inherited fromdozen
4. English todaydozen

From Middle English dozen, dozein, doseyne, from Old French dozaine (“a group of twelve”) (Modern French douzaine), from doze (“twelve”) + -aine (“-ish”), from Latin duodecim (“twelve”) (from duo (“two”) + decem (“ten”)) + -ana (“-ish”).

dozen · noun²

From a deliberate misspelling of doesn't, originally referring to someone who "dozen sing, dozen rap, dozen do anything."

Words from the same roots