Etruscan numerals
Etruscan numerals in the Etruscan language are known in four basic forms:
- Basic numbers ( cardinal numbers ) (one, two, three, ...)
- Ordinal numbers (the first, the second, the third, ...)
- Repetition numbers ( iterative numbers ) (once, twice, three times, ...)
- Company numbers ( sociative numbers ) (alone, in twos, threes, ...)
Individual forms of the case are known of some numerals .
About 40 different numerals have been passed down epigraphically , represented in phonetic transcription with letters .
The following lists are based on Massimo Pittau (1997) and Bofante / Bofante (2002).
Numerals from 1 to 10
With the exception of the numbers 4 and 6, the assignment of the numerals is secure.
value | Numeral | Cardinal number | Ordinal number | Iterative number | Sociative number |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ? | thu (n), tu (n) | thunśna, thunina | thunz | thunur |
2 | ?? | zal, sal, esal | eslz | zelur | |
3 | ??? | ki, ci | kisne, ceanu | ciz, cizi | |
4th | ???? | hat, hat? | huthz? | ||
5 | ? | do it, mac | |||
6th | ?? | śa, sa? | |||
7th | ??? | semph | snuiaph, śnuiuph | ||
8th | ???? (???) | cezp | cezpz | ||
9 | ????? (??) | nurph | nurphzi | ||
10 | ? | śar, sar, tsar | śarsnach |
Etruscan numerals and letters were turned to the left, i. H. written from right to left.
A subtraction rule for I before X has been proven, but was not consistently applied.
value | Numeral | Cardinal number | Genitive | dative | accusative |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ? | thu (n), tu (n) | thunś, thunsis | University | do, thuni |
2 | ?? | zal, sal, esal | esas | zal | |
3 | ??? | ki, ci | cis, ciś | ci | |
4th | ???? | hat, hat? | huths, huthiś? | huti? | huth? |
5 | ? | do it, mac | do maths | do | |
6th | ?? | śa, sa? | what? | ||
7th | ??? | semph | semphś | semph | |
8th | ???? (???) | cezp | |||
9 | ????? (??) | nurph | |||
10 | ? | śar, sar, tsar | śaris |
Numerals over 10
Only numerals that are epigraphically documented are listed.
A subtraction rule for ? before ? has been proven, but was not consistently applied.
value | Numeral | Cardinal number | Word formation |
---|---|---|---|
13 | ???? | ci śar | three (and) ten |
14th | ????? | huthzar? | four (and) ten? |
17th | ???? | ciem zathrum | three less twenty |
18th | ????? (????) | eslem zathrum | two less twenty |
19th | ?????? (???) | thunem zathrum | one less twenty |
20th | ?? | zathrum | by zal (two) |
23 | ????? | ci zathrum | twentythree |
24 | ?????? | huth zathrum? | twenty four ? |
25th | ??? | do zathrum | five (and) twenty |
27 | ????? | ciem calch, ciem cealch | three less thirty |
28 | ?????? (?????, ?????) | eslem cealch | two less thirty |
29 | ??????? (????, ????) | thunem cialch | one less thirty |
30th | ??? | calch, cealch, cialch | -alch corresponds to -zig |
33 | ?????? | ci cealch | thirty three |
40 | ???? | huthalch? | Fourty ? |
49 | ????????? (??????) | thunem muvalch | one less fifty |
50 | ? | muvalch, machalch | fifty |
53 | ???? | ci muvalch | fiftythree |
54 | ????? | huth muvalch? | fifty-four ? |
60 | ?? | sealch? | sixty? |
65 | ??? | do sealch? | Sixty-five ? |
70 | ??? | semphalch | seventy |
75 | ???? | do semphalch | seventyfive |
80 | ???? | cezpalch | eighty |
82 | ?????? | esal cezpalch | eighty-two |
85 | ????? | do cezpalch | eighty-five |
90 | ????? | nurphalch | ninety |
The numerals for 18 and 19 are formed in Latin in the same way as in Etruscan. XVIII is duodeviginti and means two down from twenty, XIX is undeviginti and means one down from twenty. In contrast, 17 is only formed subtractively in Etruscan. The exact meaning of the -de- corresponding Etruscan ending -em is not known, but should have a subtractive meaning.
The genitive case has been handed down from some numerals over 10 . Either the ending - (i) s is appended as with the number words up to 10 or the ending -ch is replaced by -th (a) ls.
value | Numeral | Cardinal number | Genitive |
---|---|---|---|
13 | ???? | ci śar | ciś śariś |
14th | ????? | huthzar? | huthzars? |
18th | ????? | eslem zathrum | eslem zathrumiś |
20th | ?? | zathrum | zathrm (i) s, zathrum (i) ś |
23 | ????? | ci zathrum | cis zathrmisc |
24 | ?????? | huth zathrum? | huthiś zathrumiś? |
27 | ????? | ciem calch, ciem cealch | ciem cealthls, ciem cealchus |
29 | ??????? | thunem cialch | thunem cialchus |
30th | ??? | calch, cealch, cialch | cealth (u) s, cealthuś, cealthuz, cialthuś, cealthls |
50 | ? | muvalch, machalch | muvalthls |
60 | ?? | sealch? | śealthls? |
65 | ??? | do sealch? | do it śealchls? |
70 | ??? | semphalch | semphalthls |
80 | ???? | cezpalch | cezpalthals |
82 | ?????? | esal cezpalch | esals cezpalchals |
Apparently only one ordinal number above 10 is known.
value | Numeral | Cardinal number | Ordinal number |
---|---|---|---|
20th | ?? | zathrum | zathrumsne |
Assignment of numerals
Spelled out numerals from the age of the deceased in grave inscriptions and from calendar dates in the Agramer mummy bandages , the most extensive text in the Etruscan language, are known. The problem is what numerical value the numerals indicate. Hans Lorenz Stoltenberg made a significant contribution to this problem and recognized the following: Obviously the tens with the ending -alch are formed from the ones. The tens is only called zathrum too zal. The ones are added to the tens by prefixing them or they are subtracted by -em. The three numerals to be deducted must therefore correspond to the smallest values. Of these three numbers, thu is 1, because the other two are connected with nouns in the plural and they form tens, while thu is not. The ten-name zathrum is formed differently from all others. That speaks in favor of 20, as a deviating shape at 30 would be very unusual. In a calendar, huth that is greater than 3 appears only with zathrum, but not with cialch, since a number greater than 33 cannot appear. So zal is 2 and ci is 3.
Stoltenberg found a point of view for the order of the numbers from 4 to 6 in the mortality of the decades from 40 to 60. The mortality curve was determined with the help of the inscriptions on which the age is given in digits. The peak was therefore in the decade from 50 to 60. Since most deaths occurred in the decade muvalch, muvalch must mean 50 and therefore make it the 5. From the further distribution of the death dates, Stoltenberg concluded that sealch must be 60 and huthalch 40 . Accordingly, huth is the 4 and śa the 6. He identified the numerals semph, cezp, nurph and śar with 7, 8, 9 and 10. Today, there is largely agreement with regard to the assignment of the numerals. The identification of 4 with huth and 6 with śa, however, is still controversial.
number | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Numeral | thu | zal | ci | huth? | do | śa? | semph | cezp | nurph | śar |
The main argument for identifying huth with 6 and śa with 4 are the inscriptions on the dice of Tuscania , on which the number is not given with circles, as usual, but with number words. On the dice there is huth thu, i.e. 1 opposite, and śa each ci, i.e. 3. The two most common arrangements of opposite numbers are (1–6, 2–5, 3–4) and (1–2, 3–4, 5–6) and follow the addition rule “The total is 7” or the subtraction rule “The difference is 1”. Due to the undisputed identification of thu with 1, zal with 2 and ci with 3, the second rule is ruled out. If the inscriptions follow the rule of sums, huth can be identified with 6 and śa with 4.
However, it is argued that not all Etruscan cubes were made according to the rule of addition or subtraction. In addition, the Pelasgians called the Attic Tetrapolis (four cities ) Huttenia or Hyttenia . The Pelasgians, a prehistoric non-Greek speaking ethnic group in Greece, probably spoke one of the Aegean languages , which could include the Etruscan language . The syllable hut could therefore also stand for 4 in Etruscan. In addition, four images of underworld demons ( charunas ) can be seen in the Tomba dei Caronti in Tarquinia . The fourth figure counted from the left has the attached inscription Charun huths , which can be interpreted as the fourth Charun or Charun (No.) 4. Probably the most important argument is the phonetic similarity of huth as 4 and śa as 6 to corresponding numerals from different Indo-European languages .
number | German | Latin | Greek | Sanskrit | Etruscan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | one | unus | oine | ekah | thu |
2 | two | duo | dyo | dva | zal |
3 | three | tres | treis | trayah | ci |
4th | four | quattuor | tettares | catvarah | huth |
5 | five | quinque | pension | panca | do |
6th | six | sex | hex | sat, sas | śa |
7th | seven | septem | hepta | sapta | semph |
8th | eight | octo | octo | asta | cezp |
9 | nine | novem | ennea | nava | nurph |
10 | ten | decem | deca | the A | śar |
20th | twenty | uiginti | weikosi | vimśati | zathrum |
30th | thirty | triginti | triakonta | trimsat | cialch |
swell
- ŚA ŚUTHI CERICHUNCE
- He built four (?) Graves.
- LARISAL LARISALIŚLA THANCHVILUS CALISNIAL CLAN AVILS HUTHZARS
- (Grave) of Laris, son of Laris and Thanchvil Calisnia, (lived) 16 (?) Years.
- RAMTHA MATULNAI CI CLENAR ANAVENCE LUPUM AVILS MACHS ŚEALCHLS
- Ramtha Matulnai had three sons and died at the age of 45 (?) Years.
- VIPINANS ŚETHRE VELTHURS MECLASIAL THANCHVILU AVILS CIS CEALCHS
- Sethre Vipinans, (son of) Velthur Meclas (and) Thanchvil, (lived) 33 years.
- ARNTH APUNAS MACH CEZPALCH AVIL SVALCE
- Arnth Apunas lived 85 years.
- CELI HUTHIŚ ZATHRUMIŚ FLERCHVA NETHUNSL ŚUCRI THEZERIC
- On September 26th (?) The sacrifices for (the deity) Nethuns are to be prepared and carried out.
- LARTH CEISINIS CIZI ZILACHNCE METHLUM NURPHZI CANTHCE
- Larth Ceisinis has held the office of praetor in the district three times and that of censor nine times.
- LARTH ARNTHAL PLECUS CLAN RAMTHASC APATRUAL ESLZ ZILACHNTHAS AVILS THUNEM MUVALCHLS LUPU
- Larth, son of Arnth Plecu and Ramtha Apatru, twice praetor, died at the age of 49.
literature
- Hans Lorenz Stoltenberg : The meaning of the Etruscan number names. In: Glotta . Greek and Latin Language Magazine. Volume 30, 1943, pp. 234-244.
- Karl Olzscha : Script and Language of the Etruscans. In: Historia . Ancient History Journal. Volume 6, Issue 1, 1957, pp. 34-52.
- Ambros Josef Pfiffig : The Etruscan Language. Attempt to present an overall picture. Akademische Druck- und Verlags-Anstalt, Graz 1969, p. 123 f.
- Massimo Pallottino : Etruscology: History and Culture of the Etruscans. New edition, Springer, Basel 1984, ISBN 9783034860475 , p. 461 f.
- Helmut Rix : Writing and Language. In: Mauro Cristofani (ed.): The Etruscans. Belser Verlag, Stuttgart 1985, pp. 210-238.
- Massimo Pittau : La Lingua Etrusca: Grammatica e Lessico. Insula Edizioni 1997, ISBN 9788886111072 , pp. 72-76.
- Giuliano Bonfante , Larissa Bonfante : The Etruscan Language. An Introduction. 2nd Edition. Manchester University Press, Manchester / New York 2002, ISBN 0719055407 , pp. 96-97.
See also
Web links
- Massimo Pittau : I numerali etruschi (Italian)
- Rick Mc Callister, Silvia Mc Callister-Castillo: Etruscan Glossary (English)