Re: [tied] Re: Numerals query again

On Sun, 09 Nov 2003 09:28:09 +0000, P&G <petegray@...> wrote:

>> Why "17"? Did anyone menton "17"?
>
>I'm glad someone mentioned 17. Is there any particular reason why Romance
>numerals alter the structure at 17? (They change from digit+"ten" to
>"ten"+digit). Classical Latin altered at 18, but I don't know if Vulgar
>Latin did.

The Classical Latin structure (18 = duodedeviginti, 19 = undeviginti) has
not survived into Romance, and later writers use <decem et/ac X> from 17
onwards (instead of septendecim, duodeviginti and undeviginti). Spanish
and Portuguese make the change already at 16 (dieciseis).


=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...