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Making sense of old handwriting

Numbers


In French records, there are two main types of numbers used to express figures and dates. The most relevant one is the set of Arabic numbers, which are the ones most widely used today. These are usually easy to read, but some of them are sometimes confusing because their shape could be similar to other numbers (such as 1 compared to 7 and 5 to 9).

General/Tools-Numbers/Number-0
General/Tools-Numbers/Number-1
General/Tools-Numbers/Number-2
General/Tools-Numbers/Number-3
General/Tools-Number-4
General/Tools-Number-5
General/Tools-Number-6
General/Tools-Number-7
General/Tools-Number-8
General/Tools-Number-9

The second group of numbers used in French records is the set of Roman numerals. Even though they may show some variations from the ones still used today, they are also usually easy to read. Be aware of the common use of lowercase letters to represent the roman numerals, too (for example, iii instead of III).

We recommend that you check other records written by the same scribe to ensure the correct reading of a particular number. Check the chart of roman numerals below.

French/Roman-Numerals-Image.jpg


Un(e): one

Quinze: fifteen

Deux: two

Seize: sixteen

Trois:  three

Dix-sept: seventeen

Quatre: four

Dix-huit: eighteen

Cinq: five

Dix-neuf: nineteen

Six: six

Veingt: twenty

Sept: seven

Trente: thirty

Huit: eight

Quarante: forty

Neuf: nine

Cinquante: fifty

Dix: ten

Soixant: sixty

Onze: eleven

Soixant-dix: seventy

Douze: twelve

Quatre-veingt: eighty

Treize: thirteen

Quatre-veingt-dix: ninety

Quatorze: fourteen

​Cent: one hundred

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Introduction
Paleography Introduction
https://script.byu.edu/french-handwriting/tools/numbers
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