Editing Danish language (section)

=== Numerals{{anchor|Numerals}} ===
Certain numerals are formed on the basis of a [[vigesimal]] system with various rules. In the word forms of numbers above 20, the units are stated before the tens, so 21 is rendered {{lang|da|enogtyve}}, literally "one and twenty".

The numeral {{lang|da|halvanden}} means {{frac|1|1|2}} (literally "half second", implying "one plus half of the second one"). The numerals {{lang|da|halvtredje}} ({{frac|2|1|2}}), {{lang|da|halvfjerde}} ({{frac|3|1|2}}) and {{lang|da|halvfemte}} ({{frac|4|1|2}}) are obsolete, but still implicitly used in the vigesimal system described below. Similarly, the [[time|temporal designation]] ({{lang|da|klokken}})'' halv tre'', literally "half three (o'clock)", is half past two.

One peculiar feature of the Danish language is that the numerals 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 are (as are the [[French language|French]] numerals from 80 through 99) based on a vigesimal system, meaning that the [[20 (number)|score]] (20) is used as a base unit in counting. {{lang|da|Tres}} (short for {{lang|da|tre-sinds-tyve}}, "three times twenty") means 60, while 50 is {{lang|da|halvtreds}} (short for {{lang|da|halvtredje-sinds-tyve}}, "half third times twenty", implying two score plus half of the third score). The [[suffix|ending]] {{lang|da|sindstyve}} meaning "times twenty" is no longer included in [[cardinal number]]s, but may still be used in [[ordinal number]]s. Thus, in modern Danish fifty-two is usually rendered as {{lang|da|tooghalvtreds}} from the now obsolete {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsindstyve}}, whereas 52nd is either {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsende}} or {{lang|da|tooghalvtredsindstyvende}}. Twenty is {{lang|da|tyve}} (derived from Old Danish {{lang|da|tiughu}}, [[Old Norse]] form {{lang|da|tuttugu}}, meaning 'two tens'<ref name="ODS">{{cite web|url=http://ordnet.dk/ods/ordbog?select=tyve,4&query=tyve|title=tyve,4 – ODS|website=ordnet.dk|access-date=1 December 2012|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416191550/https://ordnet.dk/ods/ordbog?select=tyve,4&query=tyve|url-status=live}}</ref>), while thirty is {{lang|da|tredive}} (Old Danish {{lang|da|þrjatiughu}}, "three tens"), and forty is {{lang|da|fyrre}} (Old Danish {{lang|da|fyritiughu}}, "four tens",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mørch |first1=Ida Elisabeth |title=de danske tal; halvtreds |url=https://sproget.dk/raad-og-regler/artikler-mv/svarbase/SV00000047 |website=sproget.dk |publisher=Dansk Sprognævn |access-date=17 December 2021 |language=da |date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=17 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217142358/https://sproget.dk/raad-og-regler/artikler-mv/svarbase/SV00000047 |url-status=live }}</ref> still used today as the [[archaism]] {{lang|da|fyrretyve}}).{{sfn|Haberland|1994|p=348}} Thus, the suffix {{lang|da|-tyve}} should be understood as a plural of {{lang|da|ti}} (10), though to modern Danes {{lang|da|tyve}} means 20, making it hard to explain why {{lang|da|fyrretyve}} is 40 (four tens) and not 80 (four twenties).

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Cardinal numeral || Danish || Literal translation || Ordinal numeral || Danish || Literal translation
|-
| 1 || {{lang|da|én}} / {{lang|da|ét}} || one || 1st || {{lang|da|første}} || first
|-
| 12 || {{lang|da|tolv}} || twelve || 12th || {{lang|da|tolvte}} || twelfth
|-
| 23 || {{lang|da|treogtyve}} || three and twenty || 23rd || {{lang|da|treogtyvende}} || three and 20th
|-
| 34 || {{lang|da|fireogtredive}} || four and thirty || 34th || {{lang|da|fireogtred(i)vte}} || four and 30th
|-
| 45 || {{lang|da|femogfyrre(tyve)}} || five and forty (four tens) || 45th || {{lang|da|femogfyrretyvende}} || five and four tens-th
|-
| 56 || {{lang|da|seksoghalvtreds(indstyve)}} || six and [two score plus] half [of the] third (score) || 56th || {{lang|da|seksoghalvtredsindstyvende}} || six and [two score plus] half [of the] third score-th
|-
| 67 || {{lang|da|syvogtres(indstyve)}} || seven and three (score) || 67th || {{lang|da|syvogtresindstyvende}} || seven and three score-th
|-
| 78 || {{lang|da|otteoghalvfjerds(indstyve)}} || eight and [three score plus] half [of the] fourth (score) || 78th || {{lang|da|otteoghalvfjerdsindstyvende}} || eight and [three score plus] half [of the] fourth score-th
|-
| 89 || {{lang|da|niogfirs(indstyve)}} || nine and four (score) || 89th || {{lang|da|niogfirsindstyvende}} || nine and four score-th
|-
| 90 || {{lang|da|halvfems(indstyve)}} || [four score plus] half [of the] fifth (score) || 90th || {{lang|da|halvfemsindstyvende}} || [four score plus] half [of the] fifth score-th
|}

For large numbers (one billion or larger), Danish uses the [[Long and short scales|long scale]], so that the short-scale billion (1,000,000,000) is called {{lang|da|milliard}}, and the short-scale trillion (1,000,000,000,000) is {{lang|da|billion}}.