Multiplicative Numbers
For some numbers, special words are used to show multiplication of size, number, etc. The table below gives the most frequent such words, with their English equivalents.
| Number | Multiplicative number | Adverbial equivalent | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| traditional | neologism | |||
| 2 | îndoit | dublu | de două ori mai (mult) | double, twice as (much) |
| 3 | întreit | triplu | de trei ori mai (mult) | triple, three times as (much) |
| 4 | împătrit | cvadruplu | de patru ori mai (mult) | quadruple, four times as (much) |
| 5 | încincit | cvintuplu | de cinci ori mai (mult) | quintuple, five times as (much) |
| 10 | înzecit | – | de zece ori mai (mult) | ten times as (much) |
| 100 | însutit | – | de o sută de ori mai (mult) | a hundred times as (much) |
| 1000 | înmiit | – | de o mie de ori mai (mult) | a thousand times as (much) |
The traditional multiplicative numbers are formed from the respective cardinal number with the prefix în- (changed into îm- when the following sound is a bilabial plosive), and the suffix -it, the same used to form the past participle of a large category of verbs.
In contemporary Romanian the neologisms are more frequently used.
The multiplicative number can be used as adjective and as adverb. Examples:
- Adjective (note the gender agreement):
- salariu întreit, salariu triplu ("triple wage", "wage three times as much");
- putere întreită, putere triplă "three times more power".
- Adverb (no agreement required):
- Am muncit întreit. Am muncit triplu. "I worked three times harder."
- Am economisit înzecit faţă de anul trecut. "I saved ten times as much as last year."
Often instead of the multiplicative numbers an adverbial construction is used. This can be applied for any number larger than 1.
- Am muncit de trei ori mai mult faţă de anul trecut şi am primit un salariu de zece ori mai mare. "I worked three times more than last year and earned a salary ten times bigger."
Read more about this topic: Romanian Numbers
Famous quotes containing the word numbers:
“And when all bodies meet
In Lethe to be drowned,
Then only numbers sweet
With endless life are crowned.”
—Robert Herrick (1591–1674)