Etruscan numerals

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Etruscan numerals in the Etruscan language are known in four basic forms:

  1. Basic numbers ( cardinal numbers ) (one, two, three, ...)
  2. Ordinal numbers (the first, the second, the third, ...)
  3. Repetition numbers ( iterative numbers ) (once, twice, three times, ...)
  4. 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.

Etruscan characters
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.

Inscription hut as numeral for 4 or 6 on the Cippus Perusinus
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.

lili rere
Tuscania Cube : a network with faces
Inscriptions with numerical values ​​according to the rule of addition

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

See also

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