Teen number variants in Ancient Greek

Resources and methods for teaching and learning New Testament Greek.
Post Reply
Stephen Nelson
Posts: 85
Joined: April 28th, 2019, 1:51 pm
Contact:

Teen number variants in Ancient Greek

Post by Stephen Nelson »

I know there's a lot variation in Ancient Greek cardinal numbers from 12-18. Lexicons like BDAG list variants and their attestation. But I'm wondering if anyone might know how the number variants may have developed over time.

I imagine this is complicated by the tendency to abbreviate numbers with the Greek numeral system, as opposed to writing them out the way they would have been pronounced.

If I had to guess, it seems to be a trajectory between Classical teen numbers that end in δέκα systematically, vs later Hellenistic variants that begin with δέκα. At the very least, I know the Modern Greek variants all ended up settling on a fronted δέκα from 13 through 19. So I'm just curious how exactly it got to that point over time.

Here's a list of variants I've come across in the neuter:
  • 11. ἕνδεκα
    12. δώδεκα / δυώδεκα / δεκαδύο
    13. τριακαίδεκα / δεκατρία
    14. τεσσαρακαίδεκα / δεκατέσσαρα (alt. -ττ-)
    15. πεντεκαίδεκα / δεκαπέντε
    16. ἐκκαίδεκα / δεκαέξ / δέκα ἕξ
    17. ἑπτακαίδεκαδεκαεπτά
    18. ὀκτωκαίδεκα / δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ / δεκαοκτώ
    19. ἐννεακαίδεκα
"18" was the only instance I found of καί separating a fronted δέκα followed by the 2nd integer. But maybe there are others that I didn't find.

And for "19" it doesn't seem like Modern Greek δεκαεννέα (Demotic - δεκαεννιά) is attested at anywhere in Ancient Greek sources. I guess people held on longer to the Classical form of that number?
Stephen Carlson
Posts: 3350
Joined: May 11th, 2011, 10:51 am
Location: Melbourne
Contact:

Re: Teen number variants in Ancient Greek

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Someone with access to TLG and the inclination could make a study of this.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Post Reply

Return to “Teaching and Learning Greek”