Definition:Natural Numbers/Linguistic Note

Linguistic Note on Natural Numbers

The words for the individual natural numbers in ancient languages which have now been supplanted by newer ones have in some cases survived in remote places for special purposes.

The traditional system of numbers used for counting sheep in certain locales in the British Isles is one example:

There are a number of traditional system of numbers used for counting sheep in certain locales in the British Isles.

This is one example:

\((1)\)	$:$		wan
\((2)\)	$:$		twan
\((3)\)	$:$		tethera
\((4)\)	$:$		methera
\((5)\)	$:$		pimp
\((6)\)	$:$		sethera
\((7)\)	$:$		lethera
\((8)\)	$:$		hovera
\((9)\)	$:$		dovera
\((10)\)	$:$		dick
\((11)\)	$:$		wanadick
\((12)\)	$:$		twanadick
\((13)\)	$:$		tetheradick
\((14)\)	$:$		metheradick
\((15)\)	$:$		pimpdick
\((16)\)	$:$		setheradick
\((17)\)	$:$		letheradick
\((18)\)	$:$		hoveradick
\((19)\)	$:$		doveradick
\((20)\)	$:$		bumfit
\((21)\)	$:$		wanabumfit

and so on.