:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/adjective_ordinal_number.rst

.. _adjective_ordinal_number:

Adjective Ordinal Number
========================

Summary
-------

In Biblical Hebrew, ordinal numbers are used to express a rank or order
of items in a series (first, second, third, etc.) or to express a part
of a whole (a third, a fourth, a fifth, etc.).

Article
-------

Biblical Hebrew contains two sets of numbers: :ref:`cardinal numbers<adjective_cardinal_number>`
and ordinal numbers. Ordinal numbers describe either a numeric
rank/order or a portion of a whole. "First" through "tenth" have unique
ordinal forms, but the cardinal forms are used from "eleventh" and
higher. Ordinal numbers function as :ref:`attributive adjectives<adjective-attributive>`,
but they may not always have the same grammatical form (gender, number,
:ref:`definiteness<definiteness>`) as the noun they describe.

.. note:: Sometimes a cardinal form is used, but an ordinal meaning is
          clearly indicated from the context (see examples below).

"First" through "Tenth"
-----------------------

.. csv-table:: "First" through "Tenth" Paradigm

  word,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
  masculine,רִאֹשׁוֹן,ri'oshon,first
  masculine,שֵׁנִי,sheni,second
  masculine,שְׁלִישִׁי,shelishi,third
  masculine,רְבִיעִי,rebi'i,fourth
  masculine,חֲמִישִׁי,hamishi,fifth
  masculine,שִׁשִּׁי,shishi,sixth
  masculine,שְׁבִיעִי,shevi'i,seventh
  masculine,שְׁמִינִי,shemini,eighth
  masculine,תְּשִׁיעִי,teshi'i,ninth
  masculine,עֲשִׂירִי,'asiri,tenth

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 47:18

  בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית
  bashanah **hashenith**
  in-the-year **the-second**
  in **the second** year

The following example is a :ref:`definite<definiteness>`
ordinal number describing an indefinite noun.

.. csv-table:: Example: DEU 5:14

  וְי֙וֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י
  weyom **hashevi'i**
  and-day **the-seventh**
  and **the seventh** day

The following examples show cardinal numbers functioning as ordinal numbers.

.. csv-table:: Example: 2KI 15:32

  בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שְׁתַּ֔יִם
  bishnath **shetayim**
  in-year two
  in **the second** year

.. csv-table:: Example: 2SA 4:2

  שֵׁם֩ **הָאֶחָ֨ד** ... וְשֵׁ֧ם הַשֵּׁנִ֣י
  ushene **'anashim** ... weshem **hasheni**
  name-of **the-one** ... and-name-of **the-two**
  the name of **the first** ... and the name of **the second**

"Eleventh" and higher
---------------------

The
:ref:`cardinal<adjective_cardinal_number>`
forms are used for ordinal numbers higher than ten ("eleventh",
"twelfth", etc.).

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 7:11

  בְּשִׁבְעָֽה־עָשָׂ֥ר יֹ֖ום
  **beshiv'ah-'asar** yowm
  **in seven\_ten** day
  **on the seventeenth** day

.. csv-table:: Example: 1KI 19:19

  וְה֖וּא בִּשְׁנֵ֣ים הֶעָשָׂ֑ר
  wehu **bishnem he'asar**
  and-he **in-two the-ten**
  and he was **with the twelfth**

Part of a whole
---------------

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 47:24

  וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם **חֲמִישִׁ֖ית** לְפַרְעֹ֑ה
  unethattem **hamishith** lefar'oh
  and-you-must-give **a-fifth** to-Pharaoh
  you must give **one fifth** of the crop to the king