Some Characteristics of Cardinal Numerals between 2 and 19 in Karaim Bible Translations: New Results Based on New Karaim Materials

Abstract

I gave one of my first academic talks at the International Conference on Turkish Linguistics organised by the University of Szeged in 2010. At the time I was still a doctoral student of UppsalaUniversity. It was also the first occasionwhen Professor Róna-Tas had heardme speak on a scholarly topic. In that conference presentation, I discussed the characteristics of the numeral system found in a Halich Karaim Bible translation. More than ten years later, I am delighted to have the honour of saluting Professor Róna-Tas on the momentous occasion of his 90th birthday. Given the special nature of this event I have decided to investigate the same topic again. New and exciting research projects on KaraimBible translations have provided us with access to fresh sources, as a consequence of which the Karaim numeral system, heavily influenced by the Hebrew numeral system, is worth a revisit.1 In this study, I will discuss the singular/plural markings on cardinal numerals 2–19 that appear in various Karaim Bible translations.