III.

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 Ēk Ēk Ēkŭ (mas.) Ēkā (fem.) Ēkŭṅ (neu.)148 One

Due. Dy Dui Dui Dui Dui Doi Duée Duie Duj Doj Dui Dui Di Didi Dŏ Dō Dwi (crude) Dwau (m. and f. Dwē (neu.) Two

Trin. Trin Drill Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin Trin Tri Tri Trin Dun Teenc Trŭe (like try) Tri Tri (crude) Trŭgŭ (mas.) Trisŭ (fem.) Treeni (neu.) Three

Stor. Shtar Schtaar Estar Schtar Stor Star Stor Tor Schtar Star Chater Ishtár Shtár Star Ishtar Shtái Chār Chār Chŭtoor (crude.) Chŭtwārŭ (mas.) Chŭtŭsū (fem.) Chŭtwāree (neu.) Four

Peng. Pansch Pantsch Pansche Pansch Pansch Panj Peng Pan Punch Fo Pantsch Pansch Pancha Pantch Pandj Pentch Pãnch Pŭnch Pŭnch Five

Sho. Sink Shoov Job Zoi Tschov Sho Shov — Shaigh Tschowe Schow Sof Shat Sho Shov Shesh Chhŭh Khŭt Shŭt Shŭsh Khŭt Shŭt Shŭsh (crude) Khŭt} (mas. fem. Shŭt} and neu.) Six

Afta. Schuh, more often Sytt Efta Hefta Efta Afta — Naivairn Efta Sapta Eftá Hoft Sāt Hŭft Sŭpt Sāt Sŭpt Sŭptŭṅ (crude) Sŭpt (m. f. and n.) Seven

Oitoo. Okto Ochto Otor Ochto Oitoo — Naigh Luften Ochto Ashta Okhtó Ohtó Háisht Āth Ŭsht Hŭsht Āth Ŭsht Ushtŭṅ Eight

Enneah Engja, often Nin Enja Esnia Enija Euneah — Line Enja Eija Nava Enéa Enia Iniya Néya Nu Nou Nŭh Mŭvŭ Nau Nŭvŭṅ (crude) Nŭvŭ (m. f. & n.) Nine

Desh. Tin Desch Deque Dōsch Desh Dyche Nay Desch Des Dasa Desh Des Dez Dest Dŭs Dŭs Dŭsŭn (crude) Dŭs (m. f. and n.) Ten