III.

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The following table of comparison of Romany numerals, which we have arranged, may be interesting. The English gipsy numerals are completed to ten, partly from Bryant’s collection of English gipsy words, published in the “Annual Register” of 1785. We do not know any instance of an English author, since that date, obtaining from the English gipsies, Romany numerals so high as ten. Hoyland, in his work, published in 1818, gives a list from Grellmann, whose work was translated into English by Raper, in 1785. Hoyland also gives some examples from Bryant, but only verifies, from his own research, the gipsy numerals up to five, and the numeral ten. Crabb, the gipsies’ friend, who published a work in 1818, gives examples of gipsy numerals from Grellmann, Hoyland, and Captain Richardson. No other succeeding authors appear to have been able to make up their list of English gipsy numerals to ten, without having recourse to Bryant or Grellmann. Simpson, who has written an interesting work upon the Scotch gipsies, a work evidently the result of much patient research, gives the Scotch gipsy numerals as far as ten; but, after six, the remaining numbers given have evidently no affinity to the Romany language. Either the gipsies, not knowing the numerals to ten, gave him wrong words, or he mistook the sound. Although many words of the language may have been gradually lost, we can only wonder how they have managed to preserve, through all their wanderings, hardships, and difficulties, this link, fragmental though it be, to an early past, in some long-forgotten land, whence they originally came.

TABULATED COMPARISON OF GIPSY NUMERALS.

Bryant’s
English
Gipsy,
1785.
Sundt’s
Norwegian
Tatersprog
or Gipsy.
Sundt’s
Lithuanian
Tatersprog
or Gipsy.
Borrow’s
Spanish
Gipsy.
Borrow’s
Hungarian
Gipsy.
English
Gipsy.
Hoyland’s
English
Gipsy.
Simpson’s
Scotch
Gipsy.
Grellman. Polock’s
Sanscrit.
Paspati’s
Turkish
Gipsy.
Paspati’s
Asiatic
Gipsy.
Hindostance. Hindee. Sanscrit. English.
Yec. Jikk. Jek. Yeque. Jek. Yek. Yake. Yalk. Ick.
Ek
Eka. Yek. YÚka Ek Ek Eku (mas.)
Eka (fem.)
Eku? (neu.)148
One
Due. Dy Dui Dui Dui Dui
Doi
DuÉe Duie Duj
Doj
Dui Dui Di
Didi
Do Do Dwi (crude)
Dwau (m. and f.
Dwe (neu.)
Two
Trin. Trin
Drill
Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin
Tri
Tri Trin Dun Teenc True (like try) Tri Tri (crude)
Trugu (mas.)
Trisu (fem.)
Treeni (neu.)
Three
Stor. Shtar Schtaar Estar Schtar Stor
Star
Stor Tor Schtar
Star
Chater IshtÁr
ShtÁr
Star
Ishtar
ShtÁi
Char Char Chutoor (crude.)
Chutwaru (mas.)
Chutusu (fem.)
Chutwaree (neu.)
Four
Peng. Pansch Pantsch Pansche Pansch
Pansch
Panj
Peng Pan Punch
Fo
Pantsch
Pansch
Pancha Pantch
Pandj
Pentch PÃnch Punch Punch Five
Sho. Sink Shoov Job
Zoi
Tschov Sho
Shov
Shaigh Tschowe
Schow
Sof
Shat Sho
Shov
Shesh Chhuh
Khut
Shut
Shush
Khut
Shut
Shush (crude)
Khut} (mas. fem.
Shut} and neu.)
Six
Afta. Schuh,
more often
Sytt
Efta Hefta Efta Afta Naivairn Efta Sapta EftÁ Hoft Sat
Huft
Supt
Sat
Supt
Suptu? (crude)
Supt (m. f. and n.)
Seven
Oitoo. Okto Ochto Otor Ochto Oitoo Naigh
Luften
Ochto Ashta OkhtÓ
OhtÓ
HÁisht Ath
Usht
Husht
Ath
Usht
Ushtu? Eight
Enneah Engja,
often
Nin
Enja Esnia Enija Euneah Line Enja
Eija
Nava EnÉa
Enia
Iniya
NÉya
Nu
Nou
Nuh
Muvu
Nau
Nuvu? (crude)
Nuvu (m. f. & n.)
Nine
Desh. Tin Desch Deque Dosch Desh Dyche Nay Desch
Des
Dasa Desh
Des
Dez
Dest
Dus Dus Dusun (crude)
Dus (m. f. and n.)
Ten

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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