Numerals

Cardinal Numbers

Traditionally Gaelic used a vigesimal counting system. This means that it is based in 20s (equivalent to the old numbers in English based on "Score"). Within this system there are several different variants for counting larger complex numbers.

A more modern decimal (10 based system) has been introduced and is taught in schools, but isn't favored by many native speakers. These are the forms that end in -ead or -ad.

When used to list phone numbers or count objects without naming them

Formally, when counting or listing phone numbers, each number is prefixed with the particle a^H (a h-aonan, a dha, a tri, a ceithir, a còig, a sia, a seachd, a h-ochd, a naoi, a deich, etc.) But this particle is rarely used anymore by speakers. Lamb (2003) reports that the particle is only really used on the Radio. The particle does, however appear as the last part of complex numbers such as ceithir fichead 's a tri (83)

0 to 19

Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic
0	neodi	10	deich
1	aonan/aona	11	aon deug
2	dhà	12	dà dheug
3	tri	13	tri deug
4	ceithir	14	ceithir deug
5	còig	15	còig deug
6	sia	16	sia deug
7	seachd	17	seachd deug
8	ochd	18	ochd deug
9	naoi	19	naoi deug

20-29, 40-49, 60-69, 80-89

Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic
20	Fichead	40	dà fhichead ceathrad	60	trì fichead seasgad	80	ceithir fichead ochdad
21	fichead 's a h-aon aon air fhichead aon thar fhichead	41	dà fhichead 's a h-aon ceathrad 's a h-aon	61	trì fichead 's a h-aon seasgad 's a h-aon	81	ceithir fichead 's a h-aon ochdad 's a h-aon
22	fichead 's a dhà dà air fhichead dà thar fhichead	42	dà fhichead 's a dhà ceathrad 's a dhà	62	trì fichead 's a dhà seasgad 's a dhà	82	ceithir fichead 's a dhà ochdad 's a dhà
23	fichead 's a trì trì air fhichead trì thar fhichead	43	dà fhichead 's a trì ceathrad 's a trì	63	trì fichead 's a trì seasgad 's a trì	83	ceithir fichead 's a trì ochdad 's a trì
24	fichead 's a ceithir ceithir air fhichead ceithir thar fhichead	44	dà fhichead 's a ceithir ceathrad 's a ceithir	64	tri fichead 's a ceithir seasgad 's a ceithir	84	ceithir fichead 's a ceithir ochdad 's a ceithir
25	fichead 's a còig còig air fhichead còig thar fhichead	45	dà fhichead 's a còig ceathrad 's a còig	65	trì fichead 's a còig seasgad 's a còig	85	ceithir fichead 's a còig ochdad 's a còig
26	fichead 's a sia sia air fhichead sai thar fhichead	46	dà fhichead 's a sia ceathrad 's a sia	66	trì fichead 's a sia seasgad 's a sia	86	ceithir fichead 's a sia ochdad 's a sia
27	fichead 's a seachd seachd air fhichead seachd thar fhichead	47	dà fhichead 's a seachd ceathrad 's a sia	67	trì fichead 's a seachd seasgad 's a sia	87	ceithir fichead 's a seachd ochdad 's a sia
28	fichead 's a h-ochd ochd air fhichead ochd thar fhichead	48	dà fhichead 's a h-ochd ceathrad 's a h-ochd	68	trì fichead 's a h-ochd seasgad 's a h-ochd	88	ceithir fichead 's a h-ochd ochdad 's a h-ochd
29	fichead 's a naoi naoi air fhichead naoi thar fhichead	49	dà fhichead 's a naoi ceathrad 's a naoi	69	trì fichead 's a naoi seasgad 's a naoi	89	ceithir fichead 's a naoi ochdad 's a naoi

30-39, 50-59, 70-79, 90-99

Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic
30	deich air fhichead fichead 's a deich trithead	50	dà fhichead 's a deich leth-cheud caogad	70	trì fichead 's a deich seachdad	90	ceithir fichead 's a deich naochad
31	aon deug air fhichead aon deug thar fhichead fichead 's a h-aon deug trithead 's a h-aon	51	dà fhichead 's a h-aon deug leth-cheud 's a h-aon caogad 's a h-aon	71	trì fichead 's a h-aon deug seachdad 's a h-aon	91	ceithir fichead 's a h-aon deug naochad 's a h-aon
32	dà dheug air fhichead dà dheug thar fhichead fichead 's a dà dheug trithead 's a dha	52	dà fhichead 's a dà dheug leth-cheud 's a dhà caogad 's a dhà	72	trì fichead 's a dà dheug seachdad 's a dhà	92	ceithir fichead 's a dà dheug naochad 's a dhà
33	trì deug air fhichead trì deug thar fhichead fichead 's a trì deug trithead 's a trì	53	dà fhichead 's a trì deug leth-cheud 's a trì caogad 's a trì	73	trì fichead 's a trì deug seachdad 's a trì	93	ceithir fichead 's a trì deug naochad 's a trì
34	ceithir deug air fhichead ceithir deug thar fhichead fichead 's a ceithir deug trithead 's a ceithir	54	dà fhichead 's a ceithir deug leth-cheud 's a ceithir caogad 's a ceithir	74	trì fichead 's a ceithir deug seachdad 's a ceithir	94	ceithir fichead 's a ceithir deug naochad 's a ceithir
35	còig deug air fhichead còig deug thar fhichead fichead 's a còig deug trithead 's a còig	55	dà fhichead 's a còig deug leth-cheud 's a còig caogad 's a còig	75	trì fichead 's a còig deug seachdad 's a còig	95	ceithir fichead 's a còig deug naochad 's a còig
36	sia deug air fhichead sia deug thar fhichead fichead 's a sia deug trithead 's a sia	56	dà fhichead 's a sia deug leth-cheud 's a sia caogad 's a sia	76	trì fichead 's a sia deug seachdad 's a sia	96	ceithir fichead 's a sia deug naochad 's a sia
37	seachd deug air fhichead seachd deug thar fhichead fichead 's a seachd deug trithead 's a seachd	57	dà fhichead 's a seachd deug leth-cheud 's a seachd caogad 's a seachd	77	trì fichead 's a seachd deug seachdad 's a seachd	97	ceithir fichead 's a seachd deug naochad 's a seachd
38	ochd deug air fhichead ochd deug thar fhichead fhichead 's a h-ochd deug trithead 's a h-ochd	58	dà fhichead 's a h-ochd deug leth-cheud 's a h-ochd caogad 's a h-ochd	78	trì fichead 's a h-ochd deug seachdad 's a h-ochd	98	ceithir fichead 's a h-ochd deug naochad 's a h-ochd
39	naoi deug air fhichead naoi deug thar fhichead fhichead 's a naoi deug trithead 's a naoi	59	dà fhichead 's a naoi deug leth-cheud 's a naoi caogad 's a naoi	79	tri fichead 's a naoi deug seachdad 's a naoi	99	ceithir fichead 's a naoi deug naochad 's a naoi

100+

• 100 ceud
• 120 sia fichead
• 140 seachd fichead
• 150
• 160 ochd fichead
• 180 naoi fichead
• 1000 mile
• 1999 naoi ceud deug ceithir fichead 's a naoi deug
• 2000 dà mhile
• 2002 dà mhile 's a dhà
• 6693 sia mile sia ceud ceithir fichead 's a tri deug
• 1,000,000 millean

Important note about large numbers

Lamb (2003) based on research by Macaulay (1982) reports that for many speakers, large numbers, especially those that fall between the "scores" (120, 140 etc), are avoided and they will code switch to English.

When used with a noun

1 to 10

English	Gaelic	Takes	Example
1	aonL	singular	aon chat
2	dhàL/dàL		dà chat
3	tri1	plural	tri cait
4	ceithir		ceithir cait
5	còig		còig cait
6	sia		sia cait
7	seachd		seachd cait
8	ochd		ocht cait
9	naoi		naoi cait
10	deich		deich cait

¹In some dialects 3-5 also lenite the following noun.

11 to 19

English	Gaelic	Takes	Example
11	aonL X deug	singular	aon chat deug
12	dàL X deug		dà chat deug
13	tri X deug	plural	tri cait deug
14	ceithir X deug		ceithir cait deug
15	còig X deug		còig cait deug
16	sia X deug		sia cait deug
17	seachd X deug		seachd cait deug
18	ochd X deug		ocht cait deug
19	naoi X deug		naoi cait deug

Distributive Numbers

e.g. pair, dozen

Distributive Numbers for humans

Number	Gaelic
1	aonan/aonar/aon fear (m)
2	dithis/dithist (f)
3	triùir (f)
4	ceathrar (m)
5	còignear (m)
6	sianar (m)
7	seachdnar/seachdar (m)
8	ochdnar/ochdar (m)
9	naoinear (m)
10	deichnear/deineir (m)

Lamb: numbers over 1 take genitive case. dithis fhear

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers describe a position in a series of objects. In English these are numbers like first second, third

Number	Gaelic	Number	Gaelic
first	a' chiad	eleventh
second	an darna a dara	twelfth
third	an treas an trìtheamh an treasamh	thirteenth
fourth	an ceathramh	fourteenth
fifth	an còigeamh	fifteenth
sixth	an siathamh1	sixteenth
seventh	an seachdamh1	seventeenth
eighth	an t-ochdamh	eighteenth
ninth	an naoidheamh	nineteenth

¹. For some speakers these nouns are feminine and show up as an t-seachdamh and an t-siathamh, especially before other nouns

• an deicheamh 'tenth'
• am ficheadamh 'twentieth'

Other Numbers

Multiplicative Numbers

represents repetition (once, twice, thrice)

Partitive Numbers

expresses a fraction (half, quarter, third)

• leth 'half'

Integrative-Cumulative Numbers

refer to something made up for several parts single, double, triple

External Links

• Council Website on numbers

References

• Fisher, Muriel (2004) Scottish Gaelic: Level 1. Seattle: Each-Mara Publications
• Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. Munich: Lincom Europa.
• Macaulay, Donald (1982) Aspects of register range and choice in Scottish Gaelic. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 35:25-48.
• Robertson, Boyd and Ian MacDonald (2004) Gaelic Dictionary. Teach Yourself books.