Numbers (saṅkhyā)
Numbers (saṅkhyā)¶
Numbers are adjectives that describe how many of something there are, etc.
There are different types of numbers used in Pāli Grammar
| 1. | cardinal | one, two, three, ... |
| 2. | ordinal | first, second, third, ... |
| 3. | distributive | one by one, two by two |
| 4. | fractional | 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/16 |
| 5. | multiplicative | 1 time, 2 times, 3 times |
| 6. | adverbial | second time, third time |
Today, let’s look at Cardinal and Ordinal numbers.
1. Cardinal Numbers are the natural numbers or whole numbers
measuring the quantity of something
eka, dvi, ti, ...
one, two, three, ...
2. Ordinal numbers indicate the order or position of something
paṭhama, dutiya, tatiya, …
first, second, third, etc