Cardinal Numbers
/ˈkɑːr.dɪ.nəl ˈnʌm.bərz/noun
Numbers used to state how many items there are, such as one, two, and three.
Did you know?“Cardinal” comes from Latin cardo, meaning “hinge,” because something cardinal was imagined as central or pivotal—the concept later applied to the basic numbers used for counting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nem-
“To assign, allot, or distribute—a root connected with the idea of dividing things into portions.”
Classical Latin
Latin
numerus
“A number, quantity, rhythm, or organized measure.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cardo
“A hinge or pivot; literally, a turning point or central axis.”
Late Latin
Latin
cardinalis
“Principal, essential, or belonging to a hinge or pivot.”
Middle English
English
nombre
“A number or quantity, borrowed through Old French from Latin numerus.”
16th Century
English
cardinal number
“A number expressing how many, contrasted with an ordinal number expressing position.”
Modern English
English
cardinal numbers
“The basic counting numbers, including zero, one, two, three, and so on.”