How do you ask a question when you want to know the numerical order of something in a sequence or succession, in English, and in Greek?
In my native tongue we use the same ending for ordinal at the end of the word that corresponds to "how many". For example "How-many-th son are you?" or "How-many-th president is Lincoln?". But I have never heard of a general question word for asking such a thing in English, or in Greek.
"ποσό-τος(?) βασιλεῦς ?στιν ? Ἀγαμέμνων;"
"τέτα?τός ?στιν."
What's the interrogative for numerical order?
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Re: What's the interrogative for numerical order?
Greek, of course, does have this. You almost got it: πόστος.mingshey wrote:How do you ask a question when you want to know the numerical order of something in a sequence or succession, in English, and in Greek?
I'm disappointed in Smyth for this. He should say something about this word in his section on numerals, I'd think. I had to resort to Kühner.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/ — http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
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Great thanks! I'm happy to learn that Greek has the word for it.
But it doesn't sem to be retained in Modern Greek. Or had some other word taken its place? Or it's almost out of use that the editors held it from the dictionary?
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I understand that in English you don't ask much about order of something, or you must have invented -- or retained -- some simple word for it.
I first thought of "what -- by order", but "by order" meant a totally different thing. "-- by sequence" or "-- by succession" sounded something remote.
So,
"Which president in order is Lincoln?"
would be okay for that?
But it doesn't sem to be retained in Modern Greek. Or had some other word taken its place? Or it's almost out of use that the editors held it from the dictionary?
-----------
I understand that in English you don't ask much about order of something, or you must have invented -- or retained -- some simple word for it.
I first thought of "what -- by order", but "by order" meant a totally different thing. "-- by sequence" or "-- by succession" sounded something remote.
So,
"Which president in order is Lincoln?"
would be okay for that?
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In Dutch we can say 'hoeveelste' as in German. I've always considered it a lack in the language of the English, who have more different numbers than names as it comes to kings, that you can't easily say: Henry the so-many-eth (Henry de zoveelste) when you're not sure which of the eight it is.
Checking my English history ruler:
William I-IV
Henry I-VIII
Stephen (just one)
Richard I-III
John (also just one)
Edward I-VII
James I-II
Charles I-II
George I-VI
OK, I admit, 9 names, up to number 8...
Ingrid
Checking my English history ruler:
William I-IV
Henry I-VIII
Stephen (just one)
Richard I-III
John (also just one)
Edward I-VII
James I-II
Charles I-II
George I-VI
OK, I admit, 9 names, up to number 8...
Ingrid