Tri why

[dhampyresa]

Sometimes it feels like learning Breton/brezhoneg is an exercise in "this might as well happen". Take numbers, for example.

Brezhoneg English
Unan One
Daou / Div Two (masculine form) / Two (feminine)
Tri / Teir Three (m) / Three (f)
Pevar / Peder Four (m) / (f)
Pemp Five
C'Hwec'h [1] Six
Seizh Seven
Eizh Eight
Nav [3] Nine
Dek Ten
Unnek One-ten (eleven)
Daouzek Two-ten (twelve)
Trizek Three-ten (thirteen)
Pevarzek Four-ten (fourteen)
Pemzek Five-ten (fifteen)
C'Hwezek Six-ten (Sixteen)
Seitek Seven-Ten (Seventeen)

So far so good, right? But is 18 "eight-ten"? You bet your ass it isn't! It's "tri-wec'h", ie "three-six". This might as well happen.

[1] The "C'H" trigram is one letter [2]. It's a voiceless velar fricative (IPA: [x]), ie pronounced like the Spanish "j".

[2] Not to be confused, of course with the digram "ch", itself also only one letter.

[3] That "v" is a vowel, by the way. "V" is pronounced "o" but only at the end of words. THIS MIGHT AS WELL HAPPEN.

Comments

[sovay]

So far so good, right? But is 18 "eight-ten"? You bet your ass it isn't! It's "tri-wec'h", ie "three-six". This might as well happen.

I'm so happy to know this. What?

[china_shop]

Hee! I commend your fortitude. I've just embarked on Mandarin, and this post is making me feel better about how hard I'm finding it. ;-)