Words Pivot around

[blutoonwithcarrotandnail]

It would make sense to me that the cardinal QUATOR derives to form
the ordinal QUATRUS

if QUATOR is at the center of an imaginary circle and QUARTUS is
revolving around it because it was derived from it then wouldnt
it stand to reason that 'words' in general pivot around QUATOR
or cardinal numerals

for some reason the book im using says its the other way around
that 'words pivot around Ordinals'

unless the argument still implies that general latin grammar pivots
around QUATRUS (ordinal.) which already pivots around QUATOR (cardinal.)


CARDINAL -> ORDINAL -> LATIN GRAMMAR

cadinal at center
ordinal pivoting around cardinal
latin grammar pivoting around ordinal


thanks

[Damoetas]

for some reason the book im using says its the other way around
that 'words pivot around Ordinals'

That is a strange statement.... Can you give more context of what the book is talking about when it says that? It sounds like it must mean something different from derivations. Is it talking about the order of words within a sentence?

[Einhard]

I'm with Damoeta. That's the first I've heard of ordinals pivoting around cardinals or vice versa.

[quickly]

The only thing that comes to mind here - and the entire post sounds odd - is Lakoff's model theory in cognitive linguistics.

[Damoetas]

The only thing that comes to mind here - and the entire post sounds odd - is Lakoff's model theory in cognitive linguistics.

Interesting that you mention that, Quickly, because I'm currently reading that book! I'm not very far into it, but I'm guessing Lakoff would say that cardinal numbers are a more "basic level category." I can't imagine how he would say that ordinals are cognitively more primary, or that "words pivot around them." But who knows, maybe he will say that in the next chapter