A Practical Grammar of the PŒli Language
Chapter 8

250. Numerals

The Numerals are as follows:

251.

252. (I) Cardinals

253. Eka, one, is in the singular very often used in an indefinite sense, meaning: a certain, a; as,

eko nŒviko, a boatman, a certain boatman.
ekŒ kumŒrikŒ, a princess, a certain princess.

In the plural, it means: some, as,
eke purisŒ, some men...
ekŒ mŒnusini, some women...

254. The Cardinals, eka, taya and cattŒro are declined in the plural in the three genders; eka, alone of course, having singular forms.

255. Declension of Eka, One

Remark. The above declension is chiefly pronominal. (See Pronouns, Chapter IX)

256. Declension of Tayo, Three

257. Declension of CattŒro, Caturo, Four

258. (a) In composition, the base of tayo, is ti, as, tilokahitada, bestowing benefits on the three worlds.
(b) Not seldom, tri also is met with: trikumbhanagaraµ, the "three-Hillock-City" (Rangoon)
(c) The base of cattŒro in composition is catu before a consonant, the consonant being often reduplicated; and catur before a vowel:

catumukho, having four faces.
catuppado, a quadruped.
catuparisaµ, the four assemblies.
caturaºg´ (catu . r. aºg´), having four divisions.
caturasso (catu . r. asso), having four corners, quadrangular.

259. The Dual has completely disappeared in PŒli; the only two vestiges that have come down to us being dve or duve, two, and ubho, both. But even in these two words, the student will remark that the inflection of the plural has almost entirely superseded that of the dual.

260. Dve or duve and ubho, are of the three genders, and used in the plural only.

261. (a) The base of dve, duve in composition is dvi and also di, du and dve:
dvijo, twice born, a brahmin.
dvijivho, double-tongued, a snake.
dvipo, drinking twice, an elephant.
dipado, two-legged, a biped.
diguöo, two-fold.
duvidho, of two kinds.
dvebhèmako, having two stories.
dvepakkho, two factions or parties.

(b) dva, dvΠare also used as the bases of dve, but chiefly in composition with other numbers:
dvattikkhatuµ (dva-ti-khattuµ), two or three times.
dvatiµsati, thirty two.
dvŒsaÊÊhi, sixty-two.
dvŒv´sati, twenty-two.

(c) bΠis similarly used as a base.
bŒrasa, bŒdasa, twelve.
bŒv´sati, twenty-two.

262. Pa–ca, five, is, like dve, of the three genders. It is declined as follows:
Nom. pa–ca.
Gen. pa–cannaµ.
Dat. pa–cannaµ.
Acc. pa–ca.
Ins. pa–cahi.
Abl. pa–cahi.
Loc. pa–casu.

263. The other numbers up to 18 included, are also of the three genders, and are declined as follows:

264. The numerals from 11 to 18 are declined in exactly the same way.

265. Here it must be observed that 10 has three forms: dasa, rasa, lasa, the last two being used only in composition with other numerals; Âasa is also found.

266. The numerals from 19 to 99 are Feminine; as they are formed by prefixing the numerals from 1 to 9 to the decades, the decades are here given separately.

267. The numerals ending in i are declined like the Feminines in i (jŒti, ratti).

268. Those in a take in the Nom. sometimes the form in Œ, like ka––Œ, but usually they assume in the Nom. Neuter form in aµ.

269. The following will serve as a model for the declension of numerals from 20 to 99:

Declension of V´sati, 20

Remark. Numerals in i follow the 2nd form and those in a the 1st form.

270. To express full decades but one, as 19, 29, 39, etc: ekèna (eka, one + èna, deficient by) is prefixed to the decades, as:

ekènav´sati, 19, viz., 20 deficient by one.
ekènatiµsa, 29 viz. 30 deficient by one, etc.

271. The very high numerals as, koÊi, ten millions, pakoÊi, one hundred billions, etc., are declined like v´sati.

272. Sataµ 100, sahassaµ 1000, lakhaµ l00,000, are Neuter substantives, and therefore declined as such on the model of rèpaµ (124).

273. (II) Ordinals

274. The Ordinals are formed from the Cardinals, from 5 upwards, by means of the suffix ma:

275. Ordinals 5th, 6th and 7th, have two forms:

5th, pa–catha, pa–cama.
6th, chaÊÊha, chaÊÊhama.
7th, satta, sattama.

276. From 5 upwards, the Ordinals form their Feminine by means of suffix ´ (181, 2) and their Neuter is formed in aµ. They are therefore declined like devo, nad´ and rèpaµ.

277. From 11 upwards, however, the Cardinals themselves are not seldom used as Ordinals; so that we have the choice of two forms, and can say either,

ekŒrasa, 11th, or ekŒrasama, 11th.
pa–cadasa, 15th, or pa–cadasama, 15th.
catuv´sati 24th, or catuv´satima, 24th, etc.

278. The first four Ordinals are as follows:

Remark. They are consequently declined like deva, ka––Œ and rèpaµ.

279. (III) Adverbial Derivatives from Numerals

280. Many important adverbs are derived from numerals by means of some suffixes.

281. By means of suffix dhΠare formed adverbs signifying: ways, times, fold and sometimes kinds.

Examples
ekadhŒ, once.
dvidhŒ, in two ways; in two; of two kinds.
tidhŒ, in three ways; three-fold, in three parts.

282. The word guöa, though not a suffix, is often employed like dhŒ with the meanings of times, fold. In the sense of times, it generally takes the Neuter form in aµ.

Examples
dasaguöaµ, ten times; or ten-fold.
tiguöaµ, three times; or three-fold.
catuguöaµ, four times; or, four-fold.

Remark. In the sense of fold, the compound being an adjective, is treated as such and is declined like deva, ka––Œ and rèpaµ.

283. dhΠis also used in the same way after a few adjectives:
bahudhŒ, in many ways.
anekadhŒ, in more than one way.

284. Distributive adverbs are formed from numerals by means of suffix so (Sansk. •as).

Examples
ekaso, one by one.
pa–caso, five by five.

285. From khattuµ, multiplicative adverbs are formed.

Examples
dvikkhattuµ, twice.
sattakkhattuµ, seven times.
satasahassakkhattuµ, one hundred thousand times.

286. The two following suffixes, from substantives and adjectives ka and ya, form collective nouns and adjectives.

Examples
catukka, four-fold, consisting of four, a collection of four things; a place where four roads meet.
dvaya, of two sorts, consisting of two a pair.
dvika, duka, consisting of two, a pair.
tika, taya, tayi, consisting of three, a triad, etc.

287. There is an adverb, meaning once, at once, never used in composition with numerals, it is sakiµ, (Sansk, sak¨t). When used before words beginning with a vowel it sometimes takes the forms sakid or sakad.

Examples
sakiµ passanto, seeing (him) once.
sakiµ yeva, at once, simultaneously.
sakid eva, at once, simultaneously.
sakadŒgam´ (Œgami), returning once only.