Valthungian: Difference between revisions

The Gothic number system, modeled after the Greek system (in turn modeled after the Hebrew), which used the letters of the alphabet instead of separate unique characters, continued to be used well into the middle ages ([[Middle Valthungian]]), and certain taboo numbers came to be called by their character representation rather than their numeric form.  Primary among these numbers were ‘13’ and ‘19’, which were written in Gothic as ''·ig·'' and ''·iþ·'', respectively.  This also occurred with the numbers ‘113’ (''rig''), ‘119’ (''riþ''), ‘213’ (''sig''), ‘219’ (''siþ''), ‘313’ (''tig''), ‘319’ (''tiþ''), ‘413’ (''wig''), ‘419’ (''wiþ''), ‘513’ (''fig''), and ‘519’ (''fiþ''). (This was not mirrored in the higher numbers of the hundreds, because most of those combinations would have been unpronounceable.)

Though this seems like a modern form of word-play, it is actually quite ancient. The rendering of ‘19’ as ''iþ'' exerted enough influence on the numeric form from early days that the modern form became ''niðatǣn'' rather than the expected **''njunatǣn''. Similarly, the standard form of ‘13’ is ''þrigatǣn'', though the expected ''þrižatǣn'' is still an accepted alternative.

Certain slang terms have also developed out of this system, in reverse, as it were. For example, the homophony of hortative particle ''iþ'' with the number ''19'' gives rise to a nominal form ''þat niðatǣn'' referring to a duty or obligation. Similarly, a ‘road’ or ‘highway’ is sometimes referred to as a ‘413’ (''fiður-ig''), written ''wig'' (the accusative of ''wiǧ'' (‘road’).