Chapter 7. Morphology: Numbers and Numerals

Abstract

Numbers are very often rendered as letters in medieval texts. Only occasionally you encounter numbers written out, so that we can see how they were pronounced and inflected. It is nevertheless worthwhile to explore the Common Slavic and Old Rusian number systems, because they provide historical explanations of many idiosyncracies and exceptions you have struggled with in Modern Russian. Have you ever wondered why два, три and четыре combine with nouns in the genitive singular? And did you know where the numeral сорок ‘forty’ comes from? After you have read this chapter you will know the answers!

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