A Handbook of the Cornish Language

Chapter VI The Numerals

Cardinal	Ordinal
1. idn, or ŏnen (older un, onan, onon). 94	1st. kensa.
2. deu (older dyw, dew).	2nd. nessa or secund.
3. trŷ, fem. teir (older tyr).	3rd. trûja (older tresse, trege).
4. pajer (older, m. peswar, f. feder).	4th. peswordha (older peswere, pyswere).
5. pemp (older pymp).	5th. pempes (older pympes).
6. wheh (or whe).	6th. whethes (older whefes).
7. seyth.	7th. seythes (older seythves).
8. eyth.	8th. eythes.
9. now (pronounced as the English word now).	9th. nowes.
10. deg (older dek).	10th. degves.
11. idnak.	11th. idn-dhegves.
12. dawdhak(older dewthak).	12th. dawdhegves.
13. tôrdhak.	13th. tôrdhegves.
14. peswôrdhak.	14th. peswôrdhegves.
15. pempthak.	15th. pempthegves.
16. whedhak.	16th. whedhegves.
17. seydhak.	17th. seydhegves.
18. eydhak.	18th. eydhegves.
19. nownjak (ow as in now).	19th. nownjakves.
20. igans.	20th. igansves.
21. ǒnen war igans.	21st. kensa war igans.
22. deu war igans, etc.	22nd. nessa war igans, etc.
30. deg war igans.	30th. degves war igans.
31. idnak war igans, etc.	31st. idn-dhegves war igans, etc.
40. deugans.	40th. deugansves.
50. deg war deugans (or hanter cans).	50th. degves war deugans.
60. trŷ igans.	60th. try-igansves.
70. deg war trŷ igans or trŷ igans ha deg.	70th. degves war try-igans or tri igans ha degves.
80. pajer igans.	80th. pajer-igansves.
90. deg war pajer igans or pajer igans ha deg.	90th. degves war pajer-igansves or pajer igans ha degves.
100. cans.	100th. cansves.
200. deu cans.	200th. deu cansves.
300. tryhans.	300th. tryhansves.
1000. mil.	1000th. milves.
1,000,000. milvil or milyon.	millionth. milvilves.

When compound numbers are used, the noun follows the first of them. Thus:—

trŷ igans bledhan ha deg, 70 years (threescore years and ten), or deg bledhan war trŷ igans.

Larger compounds are made somewhat as in English. Thus a.d. 1904 is Bledhan agan Arledh nownjak cans ha pajer.

The later lists of ordinal numbers usually have vas for the termination, but the practice of the older MSS., the analogy of Welsh and Breton, and the very definite sound of the last syllable of pempes and whethes in the traditional fragments collected by the present writer in 1875, all point to e as the correct vowel.

Nouns which follow numerals are put in the singular number, 96 unless they are preceded by the preposition a, of. Thus:—

wheh dên, six men, not wheh denyon or wheh tîs.

trŷ mab, three sons, not trŷ mebyon.

pajer paw, not pajer pawyow, four feet (a name still used in the English of Cornwall for a newt).

But sometimes, in a collective sense:—

mil a bensow, a thousand [of] pounds.

wheh a vebyon ha wheh a verhes, six sons and six daughters.

The numerals, cardinal or ordinal, unlike certain of them in Welsh and Breton, do not change the initials of the nouns which follow them.

It may be well to add here certain applications of the numerals.

Once, twice, three times, etc. are represented by the cardinal numbers followed by gweth, time (in the above sense), with its initial in the second state, idnweth, deuweth, trŷweth, etc. Sometimes plek, fold, is used, as milblek, a thousand-fold.

Proportional parts are: qwartan, a quarter, hanter, half, and for the rest the ordinal numeral followed by radn, part, e.g. trûja radn, the third part.

The divisions of time are: secund, a second; minnis, a minute; êr, an hour; dêdh, a day; seithan, a week; mîs, a month; bledhan, a year; cansvledhan, a century. “O’clock” is expressed by êr; trŷ êr, three o’clock. “Half-past three” is hanter êr woja trŷ=half-an-hour after three. Midday and midnight are hanter-dêdh and hanter-nos. Half-past twelve (noon) is hanter êr woja hanter-dêdh.

The names of coins are: pevar, a farthing; demma, or hanter-denar, a halfpenny; denar, a penny; whednar [=wheh denar], sixpence; sôls, a shilling; hanter-corŭn, half-a-crown; corŭn, a crown; pens, a pound.

Measurements of length are: inch; trôs, a foot; gwêlan, a yard; fadhom; mildir, a mile.

Weights are: ons, ounce; pens, pound; tŏn, ton.