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Ordinal numbers in different languages
Ordinal numbers in different languages











ordinal numbers in different languages

I think the low ordinals are used far more frequently than the higher ones and as such it’s well-known that higher frequency items are more prone to keeping irregularities that historically arose, because of easier learnability, in a way.

ordinal numbers in different languages

As you know in Dutch and in English also “third” is not regular, but does derive from “three” (“derde” in Dutch is a fossilised form of “drie + de” in a way). Also Danish uses “anden” (other) as second and I believe it’s more common in Scandinavian languages. “fjirdel” is just 3 1/2 (from “fjirde heal” = fourth half) and 1 1/2 is “oardel” also containing “oar” = other = second. In Germanic language the word “other” (or a cognate) has often been used as an alternative for “second”, also in Dutch as can still be seen in the relic word “anderhalf” (for one and a half): there used to be a ordinal based system of “half cardinals” where “derdehalf = two and a half (literally the third half: 1/2 is just half, 1 1/2 the second half, 2 1/2 the third half etc.) The system is still used in West Frisian (Frysk) e.g.













Ordinal numbers in different languages