著者

野原 康弘 Yasuhiro NOHARA 桃山学院大学文学部

雑誌

英米評論 = ENGLISH REVIEW (ISSN:09170200)

巻号頁・発行日

no.10, pp.41-65, 1995-12-20

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This article concerns the Numerals in Chaucer (1340?-1400), concentrating on the historical transition of the composite numerals. A numeral '24', for example. There used to be three types to read such a numeral 24: TYPE I: four and twenty, TYPE II: twenty and four, TYPE III: twenty-four. In Old English (OE) and Middle English (ME) composite numerals from '21' to '99', the units came before tens. TYPE I and TYPE II were quite common at the age of Chaucer. TYPE III, which was completely unfamiliar to people in the later middle ages in England, is now familiar to the modern ear. TYPE I is the traditional way among Germanic Languages and TYPE III comes from French language. Although TYPE I was often used until the middle of this century, TYPE III has taken its place lately. The final aim of this article is to explain why this transition occurred. I believe that a great number of TYPE III set-phrases influenced its transition.