Proto-Indo-European numerals
The numerals and derived numbers of the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) have been reconstructed by modern linguists based on similarities found across all Indo-European languages. The following article lists and discusses their hypothesized forms.
Cardinal numbers
The cardinal numbers are reconstructed as follows:
| Number | Reconstruction (Sihler)[1] | Reconstruction (Beekes)[2] |
|---|---|---|
| one | *Hoi-no-/*Hoi-wo-/*Hoi-k(ʷ)o-; *sem- | *Hoi(H)nos ; sem-/sm̥- |
| two | *d(u)wo- | *du̯oh₁ |
| three | *trei- (full grade) / *tri- (zero grade) | *trei̯es |
| four | *kʷetwor- (o-grade) / *kʷetur- (zero grade) (see also the kʷetwóres rule )
|
*kʷétu̯ōr |
| five | *penkʷe | *penkʷe |
| six | *s(w)eḱs; originally perhaps *weḱs | *(s)u̯éks |
| seven | *septm̥ | *séptm̥ |
| eight | *oḱtō, *oḱtou or *h₃eḱtō, *h₃eḱtou | *h₃eḱteh₃ |
| nine | *(h₁)newn̥ | *(h₁)néun |
| ten | *deḱm̥(t) | *déḱm̥t |
| twenty | *wīḱm̥t-; originally perhaps *widḱomt- | *du̯idḱm̥ti |
| thirty | *trīḱomt-; originally perhaps *tridḱomt- | *trih₂dḱomth₂ |
| forty | *kʷetwr̥̄ḱomt-; originally perhaps *kʷetwr̥dḱomt- | *kʷeturdḱomth₂ |
| fifty | *penkʷēḱomt-; originally perhaps *penkʷedḱomt- | *penkʷedḱomth₂ |
| sixty | *s(w)eḱsḱomt-; originally perhaps *weḱsdḱomt- | *u̯eksdḱomth₂ |
| seventy | *septm̥̄ḱomt-; originally perhaps *septm̥dḱomt- | *septm̥dḱomth₂ |
| eighty | *oḱtō(u)ḱomt-; originally perhaps *h₃eḱto(u)dḱomt- | *h₃eḱth₃dḱomth₂ |
| ninety | *(h₁)newn̥̄ḱomt-; originally perhaps *h₁newn̥dḱomt- | *h₁neundḱomth₂ |
| hundred | *ḱm̥tom; originally perhaps *dḱm̥tom | *dḱm̥tóm |
| thousand | *ǵʰeslo-; *tusdḱomti (originally "big hundred"[citation needed]) | *ǵʰesl- |
Other reconstructions typically differ only slightly from Beekes and Sihler. A nineteenth-century reconstruction (by Brugmann) for thousand is *tūsḱmtiə.[3][4] See also Fortson 2004.[5]
The elements *-dḱomt- (in the numerals "twenty" to "ninety") and *dḱm̥t- (in "hundred") are reconstructed on the assumption that these numerals are derivatives of *deḱm̥(t) "ten".
Lehmann[6] believes that the numbers greater than ten were constructed separately in the dialect groups and that *ḱm̥tóm originally meant "a large number" rather than specifically "one hundred."
Gender of numerals
The numbers three and four had feminine forms with the suffix *-s(o)r-, reconstructed as *t(r)i-sr- and *kʷetwr̥-sr-, respectively.[5]
Numerals as prefixes
Special forms of the numerals were used as prefixes, usually to form bahuvrihis (like five-fingered in English):
| Number | Prefix (Fortson)[7] |
|---|---|
| one- (together, same) | *sm̥- |
| two- | *dwi- |
| three- | *tri- |
| four- | *kʷ(e)tru- or *kʷetwr̥- |
Ordinal numbers
The
- "first" is formed with *pr̥h₃- (related to some adverbs meaning "forth, forward, front" and to the particle*prō "forth", thus originally meaning "foremost" or similar) plus various suffixes like *-mo-, *-wo- (cf. Latin primus, Russian perv-).
- "second": The daughter languages use a wide range of expressions, often unrelated to the word for "two" (including Latin and English), so that no PIE form can be reconstructed. A number of languages use the form derived from *h₂enteros meaning "the other [of two]" (cf. OCS vĭtorŭ, Lithuanian añtras, Old Icelandic annarr)
- "third" to "sixth" were formed from the cardinals plus the suffix *-t(ó)-: *tr̥-t(ó)- / *tri-t(ó)- "third" etc.
- "seventh" to "tenth" were formed by adding the thematic vowel *-ó- to the cardinal: *oḱtow-ó- "eighth" etc.
The cardinals ending in a syllabic nasal (seven, nine, ten) inserted a second nasal before the thematic vowel, resulting in the suffixes *-mó- and *-nó-. These and the suffix *-t(ó)- spread to neighbouring ordinals, seen for example in Vedic aṣṭamá- "eighth" and Lithuanian deviñtas "ninth".
Reflexes
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2008) |
Reflexes of the cardinal numbers
| Number | Reconstruction (Sihler) | Reflexes[5][9] |
|---|---|---|
| one | *Hoi-no-[10] | yek/êk |
| *sem-[11] | sama | |
| two | *du(w)o-[12] | du |
| three | *trei-[13] | sê |
| four | *kʷetwor-[14] | çar |
| five | *pénkʷe[15] | pênc |
| six | *s(w)eḱs[16] | şeş |
| seven | *septm̥[17] | heft |
| eight | *h₃eḱtō[18] | heşt |
| nine | *(h₁)newn̥[20] | neh, no |
| ten | *deḱm̥(t)[22] | deh, de |
| twenty | *wīḱm̥t- | bîst |
| thirty | *trīḱomt- | sih, sî |
| forty | *kʷetwr̥̄ḱomt- | Lat. quadrāgintā, Ir. cethorcho/ceathracha, Lith. keturias-de-šimt[citation needed], Kurdish (Kurmanji) çil
|
| fifty | *penkʷēḱomt- | pênceh, pêncî |
| sixty | *s(w)eḱsḱomt- | Lat. sexāgintā, Ir. sesca/seasca, Lith. šešias-de-šimt, Russ. šest'desjat[citation needed], Kurdish (Kurmanji) şêst
|
| seventy | *septm̥̄ḱomt- | Lat. septuāgintā, Ir. sechtmoga/seachtó, Lith. septynias-de-šimt, Russ. sem'desjat[citation needed], Kurdish (Kurmanji) heftê
|
| eighty | *h₃eḱtō(u)ḱomt- | Lat. octōgintā, Ir. ochtmoga/ochtó, Lith. aštuonias-de-šimt, Russ. vosem'desjat[citation needed], Kurdish (Kurmanji) heştê
|
| ninety | *(h₁)newn̥̄ḱomt- | Lat. nōnāgintā, Ir. nócha/nócha, Lith. devynias-de-šimt, Russ. devjanosto[citation needed], Kurdish (Kurmanji) not, newet
|
| hundred | *ḱm̥tom[23] | sed |
| thousand | *(sm̥-)ǵʰéslo- | hezar |
| *tusdḱomti | tys'ača | |
| *wel-tyo-[24] | Toch. wälts/yaltse; OCS velьjь/velikъ
|
In the following languages, reflexes separated by slashes mean:
- Albanian: Tosk Albanian / Gheg Albanian
- Armenian: Western Armenian
- English: Old English / Modern English
- German: Old High German / New High German
- Irish: Old Irish / Modern Irish
- Ossetic: Digor
- Persian: Old Persian / Modern Persian
- Tocharian: Tocharian A / Tocharian B
Reflexes of the feminine numbers
| Number | Reconstruction | Reflexes[5] |
|---|---|---|
| three | *t(r)i-sr- | Gaul. tidres, Ir. teoir/?
|
| four | *kʷetwr̥-sr- | cetheoir/? |
Reflexes of the numeral prefixes
| Number | Reconstruction | Reflexes (with examples)[7][25] |
|---|---|---|
| one- (together, same) | *sm̥- | Lat. sim-plex "one-fold"
|
| two- | *dwi- | Ved. dvi-pád- "two-footed", Gk. dí-pod- "two-footed", Archaic Lat. dui-dent "a sacrificial animal with two teeth", Lith. dvi-kojis "two-footed" |
| three- | *tri- | Gaul. tri-garanus "having three cranes", Alb. tri-dhjetë "thirty" (three ten)
|
| four- | *kʷ(e)tru- | Lat. quadru-ped- "four-footed", Lith. ketur-kojis "four-footed"
|
Reflexes of the ordinal numbers
| Number | Reconstruction | Reflexes |
|---|---|---|
| first | *pr̥h₃-wó- | Toch. parwät/parwe
|
| *pr̥h₃-mó- | Goth. fruma, Lith. pìrmas,[8] Latv. pirmais, Lat. prīmus, Osc. perum | |
| other forms | Eng. fyrst/first,[8] i parë | |
| second | *(d)wi-teró- | ] |
| third | *tri-t(y)ó- | Ved. tr̥tīya-, Gk. τρίτος trítos, Lat. tertius,[8]
Alb. (i) tretë, Lith. trečias < *tretias, Russ. tretij[citation needed] |
| fourth | *kʷetwr̥-tó- | Gk. τέταρτος tétartos, Eng. feorþa/fourth, OCS četvrĭtŭ,[8]
Alb. (i) katërt, Lat. quārtus, Lith. ketvirtas, Russ. chetv'ortyj[citation needed] |
| fifth | *penkʷ-tó- |
Lat. quīntus, Alb. (i) pestë, Lith. penktas, Russ. p'atyj[citation needed] |
| sixth | *sweḱs-tó- | Gk. ἕκτος héktos, Lat. sextus,[8]
Alb.(i) gjashtë, Lith. šeštas, Russ. šestoj[citation needed] |
| seventh | *septm̥-(m/t)ó- | Gk. ἕβδομος hébdomos, Lat. septimus, OCS sedmŭ,[8]
Lith. septintas, sekmas, Russ. sed'moj[citation needed] |
| eighth | *h₃eḱtōw-ó- | Gk. ὄγδο(ϝ)ος ógdo(w)os, Lat. octāvus,[8]
Russ. vos'moj, Lith. aštuntas, ašmas[citation needed] |
| ninth | *(h₁)newn̥-(n/t)ó- | Lat. nōnus,[8]
Gk. ἔνατος énatos, Russ. dev'atyj, Lith. devintas[citation needed] |
| tenth | *deḱm̥-(m/t)ó- |
Gk. δέκατος dékatos, Lith. dešimtas, Russ. desjatyj[citation needed] |
Notes
- ^ Sihler (1995:402–24)
- ^ Beekes (1995:212–16)
- ^ Brugmann (1892:48)
- ^ Meillet:372)
- ^ a b c d Fortson (2004:131)
- ^ Lehmann (1993:252–255)
- ^ a b Fortson (2004:131–132)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Fortson (2004:132)
- ^ Gvozdanovic (1991)
- ISBN 80-210-2098-9.
- ^ de Vaan, Michiel. "Proto-Indo-European *sm and *si 'one'". In: The Precursors of Proto-Indo-European. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill|Rodopi, 2019. pp. 203–218. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004409354_015
- ISBN 80-210-1796-1.
- ISSN 0079-4740.
- ISSN 0019-7262.
- ISSN 0019-7262.
- ISBN 80-210-2350-3.
- ^ Blažek, Václav. "Indo-European 'Seven'". In: Journal of Indo-European Studies, Monograph Series 22 (1997): 9-29.
- ISSN 0935-3518.
- ISSN 0935-3518
- ISSN 0935-3518.
- ISBN 3-11-011322-8
- ISBN 978-87-91947-33-9.
- ISSN 1441-5542.
- ISBN 9401209367 s.v. yaltse
- ^ Fortson (2004:120)
References
- ISBN 1-55619-505-2
- Brugmann, Karl (1892), Grundriß der vergleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Sprachen, vol. II/2
- Fortson, Benjamin W. IV (2004), Indo-European Language and Culture, Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 1-4051-0316-7
- Gvozdanovic, Jadranka (1991), Indo-European Numerals, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 3-11-011322-8
- ISBN 0-415-08201-3
- Meillet, Antoine, MSL XIV [clarification needed]
- ISBN 0-19-508345-8
Further reading
- Bammesberg, Alfred (1995). "Latin quattuor and Its Prehistory". In: Journal of Indo-European Studies (JIES) 23 (1-2): 213–222.
- Beekes, Robert S. P. (1987). "The Word for 'Four' in Proto-Indo-European". In: Journal of Indo-European Studies (JIES) 15 (1/2): 215–219.
- Bomhard, Allan. "Some thoughts on the Proto-Indo-European cardinal numbers". In: In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology. In honor of Harold Crane Fleming. Edited by John D. Bengtson. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2008. pp. 213-221. 10.1075/z.145.18bom.