What comes next in this number/ word sequence?
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Sariperana (
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May 3rd, 2010
from iPhone
If once is for one, twice is for two, thrice is for three- what come next? Forice? Firice? Srice, Svice? Is there a name for this type of count?
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9 Answers
Good question, @Sariperana, i am wondering this for myself for a while.
I will follow!
From Oxford
“Nothing, I’m afraid. These three are the only words of their type, and no further terms in the series have ever existed (the suggestion of `quince’ for `five times’ is picturesque but no more!). Presumably the language has not felt the lack of them.”
base 4 logic is referred to as quaternary or quadratic equations. And then quintic equations.
I can find no term for ‘four times’ in the Oxford Dictionary (searching all 20 volumes online).
The Oxford Dictionary records the first use of the word ‘thrice’ to be in The Ormulum, a Middle English text written by the monk Ormin in 1149CE. It is composed of the Middle English term “thrie”, meaning three, and the suffix ”-s” showing possession. It lists the first use of the word ‘twice’ as being in 1122CE, being from the Old English ‘twie’, meaning two, and the suffix ’-es’ again showing possession. Encarta lists both words as having an Indo-European background, unlike singular numbers which are from the Old English. I think if you are to find an appropriate term you would have to go back to the Indo-European root words.
Maybe we can fourb and create our own word to replace the current wordage.
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