Question 4

Why do you think 11 isn’t pronounced onety-one?

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The reason "11" isn't pronounced "onety-one" has to do with the historical development of the English language. English numbers derive from Old English and Germanic roots, where the numbers 11 and 12 have unique names that don't follow the "teen" pattern seen from 13 onwards.

Eleven comes from the Old English "endleofan," which is related to the Old High German "einlif," meaning "one left" (after ten).
Twelve comes from the Old English "twelf," related to the Old High German "zwelif," meaning "two left" (after ten).
These unique forms were retained over time, unlike the numbers from 13 to 19, which follow a more consistent pattern by adding "-teen" (derived from "ten") to the base number. So, historical language evolution and etymology explain why we say "eleven" instead of "onety-one."