Page:Sanskrit Grammar by Whitney p1.djvu/211

, — the gen. alone being, rather, like that of an -stem: compare  with  and  or. No trace whatever of a final is found anywhere in the language, in inflection or derivation or composition, from any of these words (though ÇB. has twice, for the usual ).

485. a. The tens, and  etc., with their compounds, are declined regularly, as feminine stems of the same endings, and in all numbers.

b. and  are declined regularly, as neuter (or, rarely, in the later language, as masculine) stems of the same final, in all numbers.

c. The like is true of the higher numbers — which have, indeed, no proper numeral character, but are ordinary nouns.

486. Construction. As regards their construction with the nouns enumerated by them —

a. The words for 1 to 19 are in the main used adjectively, agreeing in case, and, if they distinguish gender, in gender also, with the nouns: thus, with ten heroes;  (AV.) what eleven gods of you are in heaven;  among the five tribes;  with four songs. Rarely occur such combinations as (RV.) ten pitchers,  (R.) six seasons.

b. The numerals above 19 are construed usually as nouns, either taking the numbered noun as a dependent genitive, or standing in the singular in apposition with it: thus, or  a hundred slaves or a hundred of slaves;  with twenty bays;  in 60 autumns;  with a hundred fetters;  (AV.)  the mighty [Indra] slew a hundred, a thousand, a myriad, a hundred million, of demons. Occasionally they are put in the plural, as if used more adjectively: thus, with fifty arrows.

c. In the older language, the numerals for 5 and upward are sometimes used in the nom.-acc. form (or as if indeclinably) with other cases also: thus, among the five races;  of seven bards;  with a thousand bards;  with a hundred strongholds. Sporadic instances of a like kind are also met with later.

487. Ordinals. Of the classes of derivative words coming from the original or cardinal numerals, the ordinals are by far the most important; and the mode of their formation may best be explained here.