Is there an etymological reason why the 1st in English is the 1"ST", the 2nd is the 2"ND", the 3rd is the 3"RD", then everything else is the "TH"? Why isn't it Oneth, Twoth, Threeth, then Fourth, Fifth etc?

zbeckabee

Not all do end as such, example: Ordinal numbers are alternatively written in English with numerals and letter suffixes: 1st, 2nd or 2d, 3rd or 3d, 4th, 11th, 21st, 22nd, 71st, 477th, etc. It follows pronunciation and ordinal indicators vary country to country. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinal_indicator http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinal_numbers_(linguistics) From there, you would need to follow the etymology of the words first, second, third, etc. Example: SECOND -- Etymology 1From Old French seconde (“‘fro’”), from Latin secundus (“‘following, next in order’”), from root of sequi (“‘follow’”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“‘to follow’”) Example: THIRD -- EtymologyOld English þridda http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/second#Derived_terms http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/third#Etymology Aug 12 09, 9:23 AM