The use of '-fold'

Dear Jim and linguist friends,

I have a question about the English language;

When we use the word -fold, such as the eightfold path, doesn't it
mean a simultaneous happening?  The different aspects of the same
thing?  Lately I have been seeing usages like

'the 12-Fold Chain' someone asked about on dl, taken from Steve
Hagen's book entitled 'Buddhism: Plain and Simple.' which other
members defined as 'Paticca-samuppada',

and in Bhikkhu Bodhi's book, 'A Comprehensive Manuel of Abhidhamma',
in p. 8 of the introduction where there is this 'its concomitants lead
to a fourfold method of classification', (this was remarked by KS,
BTW)

What does the term '-fold' really signify, and is the usage in
temporally non-concurrent, non-simultaneous descriptions appropriate?


Thanks in advance,

Amara