Welsh numerals
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The traditional counting system used by the Welsh language is vigesimal, i.e. based on twenties, as in French numbers 60-99, where numbers from 11–14 are "x on ten", 16–19 are "x on fifteen" (though 18 is more usually "two nines"); numbers from 21–39 are "1–19 on twenty", 40 is "two twenty", 60 is "three twenty", etc.
There is also a decimal counting system which appears to be commonly used in Patagonian Welsh, where numbers are "x ten y" unit(s), e.g. thirty-five in decimal is tri deg pump (three ten five) while in vigesimal it is pymtheg ar hugain (fifteen – itself "five-ten" – on twenty).
A further complication is that while there is only one word for "one" (un) there are masculine and feminine forms of the numbers "two" (dau and dwy), "three" (tri and tair) and "four" (pedwar and pedair), which must agree with the grammatical gender of the objects being counted.
[edit] Numerals
| Number | Vigesimal system | Decimal system |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | dim | |
| 1 | un | |
| 2 | dau (m), dwy (f) | |
| 3 | tri (m), tair (f) | |
| 4 | pedwar (m), pedair (f) | |
| 5 | pump | |
| 6 | chwe(ch) | |
| 7 | saith | |
| 8 | wyth | |
| 9 | naw | |
| 10 | deg | |
| 11 | un ar ddeg ("one on ten") | un deg un |
| 12 | deuddeg | un deg dau/dwy |
| 13 | tri/tair ar ddeg | un deg tri/tair |
| 14 | pedwar/pedair ar ddeg | un deg pedwar/pedair |
| 15 | pymtheg | un deg pump |
| 16 | un ar bymtheg ("one on five-ten") | un deg chwech |
| 17 | dau/dwy ar bymtheg | un deg saith |
| 18 | deunaw ("two nine") | un deg wyth |
| 19 | pedwar/pedair ar bymtheg | un deg naw |
| 20 | ugain | dau ddeg |
| 21 | un ar hugain ("one on twenty") | dau ddeg un |
| 22 | dau/dwy ar hugain | dau ddeg dau/dwy |
| 23 | tri/tair ar hugain | dau ddeg tri/tair |
| 24 | pedwar/pedair ar hugain | dau ddeg pedwar/pedair |
| 25 | pump ar hugain | dau ddeg pump |
| 26 | chwech ar hugain | dau ddeg chwech |
| 27 | saith ar hugain | dau ddeg saith |
| 28 | wyth ar hugain | dau ddeg wyth |
| 29 | naw ar hugain | dau ddeg naw |
| 30 | deg ar hugain ("ten on twenty") | tri deg |
| 31 | un ar ddeg ar hugain | tri deg un |
| 32 | deuddeg ar hugain | tri deg dau |
| etc. | ||
| 40 | deugain ("two twenty") | pedwar deg |
| 41 | deugain ac un ("two twenty and one") | pedwar deg un |
| 50 | hanner cant ("half a hundred") | pump deg |
| 51 | hanner cant ac un | pum deg un |
| 60 | trigain ("three twenty") | chwe deg |
| 61 | trigain ac un | chwe deg un |
| 70 | deg a thrigain ("ten on three twenty") | saith deg |
| 71 | un ar ddeg a thrigain ("one on ten on three twenty") | saith deg un |
| 80 | pedwar ugain ("four twenty") | wyth deg |
| 81 | pedwar ugain ac un | wyth deg un |
| 90 | deg a phedwar ugain ("ten and four twenty") | naw deg |
| 91 | un ar ddeg a phedwar ugain (" one on ten and four twenty") | naw deg un |
| 100 | cant | |
| 200 | dau gant | |
| 300 | tri chant | |
| 400 | pedwar cant | |
| 500 | pum cant | |
| 600 | chwe chant | |
| 1000 | mil | |
| 2000 | dwy fil | |
| 1,000,000 | miliwn | |
| 1,000,000,000 | biliwn | |
[edit] Notes
- The words deg (ten), deuddeg (twelve) and pymtheg (fifteen) often become deng, deuddeng and pymtheng respectively when before a word beginning with "m", e.g. deng munud (ten minutes), deuddeng milltir (twelve miles), pymtheng mlynedd (fifteen years).
- The numbers pump (five), chwech (six) and cant (hundred) drop the final consonant when they stand immediately in front of a noun, e.g. pum potel (five bottles), chwe llwy (six spoons), can punt (a hundred pounds).
- Larger numbers tend to use the decimal system, e.g. 1,965 mil, naw cant chwe deg pump. An exception to this rule is when referring to years, where after the number of thousands, the individual digits are spoken, e.g. 1965 mil naw chwe(ch) pump. This system appears to have broken down for years after 2000, e.g. 2005 is dwy fil a phump.
- The number miliwn is feminine, and biliwn is masculine. It is necessary for the gender of these to be different as they can both mutate to filiwn. Two million is therefore dwy filiwn, and two billion is dau filiwn.
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