0.
180. nau ueguend = 9-20.
200. deu gand = 2-100.
240. deuzec ueguend = 12-20.
280. piarzec ueguend = 14-20.
300. tri hand, or pembzec ueguend.
400. piar hand = 4-100.
1000. mil.

These lists show that the native development of the Celtic number systems,
originally showing a strong preference for the vigesimal method of
progression, has been greatly modified by intercourse with Teutonic and
Latin races. The higher numerals in all these languages, and in Irish many
of the lower also, are seen at a glance to be decimal. Among the scales
here given the Breton, the legitimate descendant of the ancient Gallic, is
especially interesting; but here, just as in the other Celtic tongues, when
we reach 1000, the familiar Latin term for that number appears in the
various corruptions of _mille_, 1000, which was carried into the Celtic
countries by missionary and military influences.

In connection with the Celtic language, mention must be made of the
persistent vigesimal element which has held its place in French. The
ancient Gauls, while adopting the language of their conquerors, so far
modified the decimal system of Latin as to replace the natural _septante_,
70, _octante_, 80, _nonante_, 90, by _soixante-dix_, 60-10, _quatre-vingt_,
4-20, and _quatrevingt-dix_, 4-20-10. From 61 to 99 the French method of
counting is wholly vigesimal, except for the presence of the one word
_soixante_. In old French this element was still more pronounced.
_Soixante_ had not yet appeared; and 60 and 70 were _treis vinz_, 3-20, and
_treis vinz et dis_, 3-20 and 10 respectively. Also, 120 was _six vinz_,
6-20, 140 was _sept-vinz_, etc.[334] How far this method ever extended in
the French language proper, it is, perhaps, impossible to say; but from the
name of an almshouse, _les quinze-vingts_,[335] which formerly existed in
Paris, and was designed as a home for 300 blind persons, and from the
_pembzek-ueguent_, 15-20, of the Breton, which still survives, we may infer
that it was far enough to make it the current system of common life.

Europe yields one other example of vigesimal counting, in the number system
of the Basques. Like most of the Celtic scales, the Basque seems to become
decimal above 100. It does not appear to be related to any other European
system, but to be quite isolated philologically. The higher units, as
_mila_, 1000, are probably borrowed, and not native. The tens in the Basque