Counting in Scottish Gaelic

Language overview

The Scottish Gaelic language (Gàidhlig), or Scots Gaelic, belongs to the Celtic languages of the Indo-European languages family. Spoken in Scotland, and to some extent in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia in Canada, it counts nearly 60,000 speakers.

Traditional Scottish Gaelic numbers

Traditional Scottish Gaelic uses a full vigesimal system, hence based on twenty and its multiples, rather than on ten and its multiple (the decimal system actually used in Modern Scottish Gaelic). Its tens are: deich [10], fichead [20], deich air fhichead (ten on twenty) or fichead ’s a deich (twenty and ten) [30], dà fhichead (two twenties) [40], dà fhichead ’s a deich (two twenties and ten) or leth-cheud (half hundred) [50], trì fichead (three twenties) [60], trì fichead ’s a deich (three twenties and ten) [70], ceithir fichead (four twenties) [80], ceithir fichead ’s a deich (four twenties and ten) [90]. This system goes on after one hundred too: sia fichead (six twenties) [120], seachd fichead (seven twenties) [140], ochd fichead (eight twenties) [160], naoi fichead (nine twenties) [180].

In the vigesimal system, compound numbers from 21 to 29 have three different forms:

• unit followed by air fhichead (on twenty), like in dà air fhichead [22];
• unit followed by thar fhichead (over twenty), like in dà thar fhichead [22];
• twenty followed by ’s (and), the counting particle a, then the unit digit, like in fhichead ’s a dhà [22].

Compound numbers from 31 to 39 have the same three different forms, using the teen numbers:

• teen followed by air fhichead (on twenty), like in dà dheug air fhichead [32];
• teen followed by thar fhichead (over twenty), like in dà dheug thar fhichead [32];
• twenty followed by ’s (and), the counting particle a, then the teen, like in fichead ’s a dà dheug [32].

Scottish Gaelic numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

• Digits from zero to nine have specific names: neoni [0], aon (or h-aon when preceded by a) [1], dhà [2], trì [3], ceithir [4], còig [5], sia [6], seachd [7], ochd (or h-ochd when preceded by a) [8], and naoi [9].
• The tens in decimal Modern Scottish Gaelic are: deich [10], fichead [20], trìthead [30], ceathrad [40], caogad [50], seasgad [60], seachdad [70], ochdad [80], and naochad [90].
• Teens are formed by starting with the unit, followed by deug or dheug (for twelve) (e.g.: dhà dheug [12], còig deug [15]).
• Compound numbers beyond twenty-one are formed starting with the ten, followed by ’s (and), the counting particle a, then the unit (e.g.: fichead ’s a còig [25], ceathrad ’s a trì [43]).
• Hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (ceud), except for one hundred: ceud [100], dhà ceud [200], trì ceud [300], ceithir ceud [400], còig ceud [500], sia ceud [600], seachd ceud [700], ochd ceud [800], and naoi ceud [900].
• Thousands are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for thousand (mile, or mhile for 2,000), except for one thousand: mile [1,000], dhà mhile [2,000], trì mile [3,000], ceithir mile [4,000], còig mile [5,000], sia mile [6,000], seachd mile [7,000], ochd mile [8,000], and naoi mile [9,000].
• The word for million is millean, and billion (10⁹) is billean.

Write a number in full in Scottish Gaelic

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Scottish Gaelic. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.

Books

Celtic languages

Breton, Cornish, Irish, Manx Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh.

Other supported languages

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.