5.5.3. Declension of Cardinals and Ordinals

Of the Cardinals only oinos, dwo, trejes, the hundreds above one hundred, and gheslo when used as a noun, are declinable.

a. The declension of oinos,-a,-om often has the meaning of same or only. The plural is used in this sense; but also, as a simple numeral, to agree with a plural noun of singular meaning. The plural occurs also in phrases like oinoi alteroiqe, one party and the other (the ones and the others).

b. The declension of sem-, one, is as follows:

 

Sem

NOM.

som

ACC.

semm

GEN.

smos

OBL.

smei, semi

c. Dwo, two, and trejes, three, are thus declined:

 

Dwo

Trejes

 

M.

N.

F.

M.

F.

N.

NOM.

dwo

dwoi

dwa

trejes

tri

ACC.

dwom

dwoi

dwam

trims

tri

GEN.

dwosio

dwesas

       trijom

OBL.

dwosmi

dwesiaei, dwesiai

      trisu

NOTE. ambho, both, is sometimes declined like dwo.

d. Tusnti , a thousand, is an indeclinable adjective:

tusnti modi, in a thousand ways.

kom tusnti wirois, with a thousand men (cf. were-, eng. man, in werewolf)

e. The ordinals are adjectives of the Fourth and Third Declensions, and are regularly declined.

6.3.2. Cardinals and Ordinals have the following uses:

a. In numbers below 100, if units precede tens, the number is generally written as one word: dwowikmtqe, twenty one; otherwise it is separated: wikmt dwo or wikmt dwoqe.

b. In numbers above 100 the highest denomination generally stands first, the next second, etc., as in English: tusnti septmkmtom sekskomt qetwor(qe), or tusnti septmkmtom qetworsekskomtqe,1764.

NOTE. Observe the following combinations of numerals with substantives:

wikmt oinos wirois, or wikmt wirois oinosqe, 21 men.

dwo tusnti penqekmtom wirois, or dwo tusnti wirois penqekmtomqe, 2500 men.

c. IE III had no special words for million, billion, trillion, etc., these numbers were expressed by multiplication. In Europaio they are formed with gheslo; as mlion, dwilion, trilion,... For the word milliard, one thousand million, mliardos can also be used.

NOTE. The Latin mille, older mi(hi)li, is probably derived from *(s)miheli, and this in turn from Europaio sm-, one, and gheslo-, thousand. Hence the Europaio (s)m(ghes)lo, with derivative mli- [m'li].

d. Fractions are expressed, as in English, by cardinals in the numerator and ordinals in the denominator. The feminine gender is used to agree with parti- expressed or understood: two-sevenths, dwa septma (sc. partes); three-eighths, trejes oktowa (sc. partes).

One-half is dwimedhja partis or dwimedhjom.

NOTE. When the numerator is one, it can be omitted and partis must then be expressed: one-third, trita partis; one-fourth, qetwrta partis.