Numerals

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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 aH (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
ceathrads a h-aon
61 trì fichead 's a h-aon
seasgads a h-aon
81 ceithir fichead 's a h-aon
ochdads 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

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 L 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 non-humans

Distributive Numbers for humans

Number Gaelic
1 aonan/aonar (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 twelfth
third an treas 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

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.