Christophe Grandsire wrote:
> John Cowan wrote:
> >
> > Christophe Grandsire scripsit:
> >
> > > Strange... How did they make their ordinal numbers before t=
his
> > > "borrowing", does anyone know?
> >
> > They might not have needed it. From what I understand, large ordinal=
s
> > are a feature of high civilizations. (Cardinals are needed pretty
> > quickly.)
>
> Now that I think of it, isn't that Spanish that uses ordinals o=
nly
from
> 1 to 10, and doesn't use the other ordinals whereas it possesses them?
In normal real life situation: yes.
Even more, many people get confuse between ordinal words and words defini=
ng
parts of units, then is common to say "el quinceavo" instead of the corre=
ct
"el d=E9cimo quinto" (from 4 to 10 they are the same).
Some of the correct ordinals in Spanish are:
11=BA und=E9cimo (alt: d=E9cimo primero)
12=BA duod=E9cimo (alt. d=E9cimo segundo)
13=BA d=E9cimo tercero
14=BA d=E9cimo cuarto
15=BA d=E9cimo quinto
16=BA d=E9cimo sexto
17=BA d=E9cimo s=E9ptimo
18=BA d=E9cimo octavo
19=BA d=E9cimo noveno
20=BA vig=E9simo (card: veinte)
21=BA vig=E9simo primero
&c.
30=BA trig=E9simo (card: treinta)
40=BA cuadrag=E9simo (card: cuarenta)
50=BA quincuag=E9simo (card: cincuenta)
60=BA sexag=E9simo (card: sesenta)
70=BA septuag=E9simo (card: setenta)
80=BA octuag=E9simo (card: ochenta)
90=BA nonag=E9simo (card: noventa)
100=BA cent=E9simo (card: cien(to))
1000=BA mil=E9simo (card: mil)
and don't ask me how you say 110th but "cent=E9simo d=E9cimo" is not. No=
t
surprising the more regular fractional ending -avo is taking over.
But when are these ordinals used:
Date of the month: use "primero" (1st) and then the cardinals.
Number of streets: use from "primera" to "d=E9cima" (10th) and then the
cardinals.
Names of monarchs: use from "primero" to "d=E9cimo" and then the cardinal=
s.
School years: from "primero" to "und=E9cimo" (11 years in Colombia), but =
11=BA
is usually called "once" (cardinal).
Event version: use from "primero" to "d=E9cimo" and then do as you please=
(if
you are a news reader in TV chose the worse alternative: use the cardinal=
as
ordinal).
An old popular song from Colombia is called "Festival de Guarar=E9" and t=
he
chorus say "d=E9cimo quinto festival en Guarar=E9".
-- Carlos Th