Etymology of cardinal and ordinal numbers
ÉTYMOLOGIE DES NUMERAUX CARDINAUX ET ORDINAUX ITALIENS

Summary/Abstract: Etymology of cardinal and ordinal numbers. The exhaustive study of the etymology of Italian cardinal and ordinal numbers allows us to propose a synchronic systematics of Italian numeration, and to explain the irregularities or diachronic exceptions by establishing some parallels between phonetic evolution and number conception. We deal with the case of sifr > zefiro > zero, but also sifr > cifra; and unus > uno, as a numeral and as an undefined article. We are interested in duo > due, in the variety and the distribution of its intermediary exits in ancient Italian (duo, dua, due, duoi). We propose an explanation to the reunion in the same one paradigm of tres > trei, sex > sei, and also of decem > dieci and viginti > venti, when all other tens columns have a final -a (trenta, quaranta, etc.).

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