Yan Tan Tethera
Encyclopedia
Yan Tan Tethera is a sheep counting rhyme traditionally used by shepherd
s in Northern England
. Until the Industrial Revolution
, the use of traditional number systems was common among shepherds, especially in the dales of the Lake District
. The Yan Tan Tethera system was also used for counting stitches in knitting. The words derive from a Brythonic Celtic
language.
Though most of these number systems fell out of use by 1910, many are still in use. The word yan or yen for 'one' in some northern English dialect
s generally represents a regular development in Northern English
in which the Old English long vowel /á/ was broken into /ie/, /ia/ and so on. Another example of this development is the Northern English
word for "home", hame, which has forms such as hyem, yem and yam all deriving from the Old English hám.
period, and continuing to the present in some areas like Slaidburn
, farms were granted fell
rights, allowing them access to common grazing land. To prevent overgrazing, it was vitally necessary for each farm to keep accurate, updated head-counts.
Though fell
rights are largely obsolete in modern agriculture except in upland areas, farms are often subsidized
and taxed according to the quantity of their sheep. For this reason, accurate counts are still necessary, and must be performed frequently.
Generally, a count is the first action performed in the morning and the last action performed at night. A count is made after moving the sheep from one pasture to another, and after any operation involving the sheep, such as shearing
, foot-trimming, mulesing
, etc.
Celtic languages
, such as Cumbric
, although Tim Gay writes: “They [sheep-counting systems from all over the British Isles] all compared very closely to 18th century Cornish and modern Welsh
”. It is impossible, given the corrupted form in which they have survived, to be sure of their exact origin. The counting systems have changed considerably over time. A particularly common tendency is for certain pairs of adjacent numbers to come to resemble each other by rhyme
(notably 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 6 and 7, or 8 and 9). Still, multiples of five tend to be fairly conservative; compare bumfit with Welsh pymtheg, Swedish femton, English fifteen, Dutch vijftien and German fünfzehn.
Like most Celtic numbering systems, they tend to be vigesimal
(based
on the number twenty
), but they usually lack words to describe quantities larger than twenty; though this is not a limitation of either modernised decimal Celtic counting systems or the older ones. To count a large number of sheep, a shepherd would repeatedly count to twenty, placing a mark on the ground, or move his hand to another mark on his crook, or drop a pebble into his pocket to represent each score
(e.g. 5 score sheep = 100 sheep).
It is also worth noting the number theory behind the scheme. Although decimal up to 10, in most dialects the scheme then changes to counting in (sub-)base 5
. It is possible to carry out limited arithmetic in base 5 on numbers up to 30 (decimal) using your fingers as a rudimentary abacus. It is pure speculation, but there may be a connection between the two facts, and the shepherds of England may have carried out limited accounting on their fingers.
In particular, the names of the numbers fit a pattern in which the index finger and forefinger each represent 0 when retracted, 1 when bent, and 2 when straight, while the other three fingers each represent 5 when extended. The rhyming transitions occur with the straightening of a finger, and the pattern repeats at intervals of 5. Thus, with two hands, a person can count up to 399. In the similar but simpler system, discernible in Roman numerals, in which the thumb is 5 and the other fingers 1 each, a person can only count up to 99 on two hands. The Yan Tan Tethera system was thus advantageous until writing made the limitation of two hands less important.
Another reason for the use of base five is suggested by the design of the shepherds crook which has grooves, nobbles, nicks or other impressions on it which enable the shepherd to note the number of fives counted on the other hand. Using base five counting in this way allows the shepherd to total as many sheep as the markings on the crook will allow, each mark representing five sheep.
Their use is also attested in a knitting song from Yorkshire.
[Essex or East Anglia]
(b. 1934) composed a chamber opera entitled Yan Tan Tethera
(subtitled "a mechanical pastoral") in 1984 with a libretto by the poet Tony Harrison
. It is based on a folk tale about two shepherds, and includes sheep being counted using 'Yan Tan Tethera' and the rival 'One Two Three' system.
Yan Tan Tethera is the name of a book by David Herter
related to his first novel, Ceres Storm
.
In the Broadway musical The Music Man
, Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn, the mayor's wife, uses a different version of the Yan Tan Tethera ("Een Teen Tuther Feather Pip!") in the "Indian Tongue" of her "spectacle" with the schoolchildren.
English chansonnier
Jake Thackray
wrote, performed and recorded a song about a shepherdess, entitled Old Molly Metcalfe, with the refrain Yan Tean Tether Mether Pip she counted. In the introduction to the song he describes how Swaledale
sheep farmers "count their sheep in a curious fashion," and gives the entire sequence from 1 to 20.
In Finnegans Wake
, James Joyce
quotes the counting rhyme onus, yan, tyan, tethera, methera, pimp.
In The Mating of Lydia, by Mrs Humphrey Ward
, the following counting rhyme is quoted as being from the northern dales: "Yan—tyan—tethera—methera—pimp—sethera—lethera—hovera—dovera—dick—Yan-a-dick—tyan-a-dick—tethera-a-dick—methera-a-dick—bumfit—Yan-a-bumfit—tyan-a-bumfit—tethera-a-bumfit—methera-a-bumfit—giggot"
In Terry Pratchett's
novel The Wee Free Men
the heroine, Tiffany Aching
, is called "little jiggit" by her Grandmother, a female shepherd, as Tiffany was her twentieth grandchild; also, the titular race
of sheep-stealing pictsies, use the "yan-tan-teth'ra" sequence for counting off. The "yan tan teth'ra" system of counting is said to be used for "important things," such as sheep and grandchildren. (They also use it for groups counting in unison before lifting heavy objects, but usually those are sheep or kine they're stealing.)
In a novel by Bernard Cornwell
, Azincourt, the central character is an English archer, preparing for battle in 1415. He "turned to count his men. He did it in the old way of the country, like a shepherd counting his flock, just as his father had taught him. Yain, tain, eddero, he counted and got to bumfit, which was fifteen, and looked for the extra man and saw two. Tain-o-bumfit?"
In Garth Nix
novel Grim Tuesday
, Grim Tuesday splits his Dawn, Noon, and Dusk servants into seven parts named Yan, Tan, Tethera, Methera, Pits, Sethera and Azer.
Joan Aiken's
children's book The Cuckoo Tree features ten "Gentlemen" named Yan, Tan, Tethera, Methera, Pip, Sethera, Wineberry, Wagtail, Tarrydiddle and Den.
The children's album Fiddle Up a Tune by Eric Nagler
features a song "Yan Tan Tethera," whose eponymous phrase begins an incantation used to calm leprechauns: "Yan tan tethera, one two three: All you little ones, let us be. Hevapin sethera, four five six: Lay down your magic fiddlesticks."
The Bad Shepherds
, a band featuring TV comedian Adrian Edmondson
, released an album entitled Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera in April 2009. It consists mostly of punk songs performed in the folk style.
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
s in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. Until the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, the use of traditional number systems was common among shepherds, especially in the dales of the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. The Yan Tan Tethera system was also used for counting stitches in knitting. The words derive from a Brythonic Celtic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
language.
Though most of these number systems fell out of use by 1910, many are still in use. The word yan or yen for 'one' in some northern English dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s generally represents a regular development in Northern English
Northern English
Northern English is a group of dialects of the English language. It includes the North East England dialects, which are similar in some respects to Scots....
in which the Old English long vowel /á/ was broken into /ie/, /ia/ and so on. Another example of this development is the Northern English
Northern English
Northern English is a group of dialects of the English language. It includes the North East England dialects, which are similar in some respects to Scots....
word for "home", hame, which has forms such as hyem, yem and yam all deriving from the Old English hám.
The importance of keeping count
In order to keep accurate records (e.g. of birth and death) and prevent animals from straying, shepherds must perform frequent head-counts of their flocks. Dating back at least to the medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period, and continuing to the present in some areas like Slaidburn
Slaidburn
Slaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...
, farms were granted fell
Fell farming
Fell farming is the farming of fells, i.e. areas of uncultivated high ground used as common grazing. It is a term commonly used in Northern England, especially in the Lake District and the Pennine Dales...
rights, allowing them access to common grazing land. To prevent overgrazing, it was vitally necessary for each farm to keep accurate, updated head-counts.
Though fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
rights are largely obsolete in modern agriculture except in upland areas, farms are often subsidized
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
and taxed according to the quantity of their sheep. For this reason, accurate counts are still necessary, and must be performed frequently.
Generally, a count is the first action performed in the morning and the last action performed at night. A count is made after moving the sheep from one pasture to another, and after any operation involving the sheep, such as shearing
Sheep shearing
Sheep shearing, shearing or clipping is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a shearer. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year...
, foot-trimming, mulesing
Mulesing
Mulesing is a skilled surgical task that involves the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech of a sheep to prevent flystrike in regions where it is common....
, etc.
Origin and usage
Sheep-counting systems ultimately derive from BrythonicBrythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
Celtic languages
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
, such as Cumbric
Cumbric language
Cumbric was a variety of the Celtic British language spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the Hen Ogledd or "Old North", or what is now northern England and southern Lowland Scotland, the area anciently known as Cumbria. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the other Brythonic languages...
, although Tim Gay writes: “They [sheep-counting systems from all over the British Isles] all compared very closely to 18th century Cornish and modern Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
”. It is impossible, given the corrupted form in which they have survived, to be sure of their exact origin. The counting systems have changed considerably over time. A particularly common tendency is for certain pairs of adjacent numbers to come to resemble each other by rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
(notably 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 6 and 7, or 8 and 9). Still, multiples of five tend to be fairly conservative; compare bumfit with Welsh pymtheg, Swedish femton, English fifteen, Dutch vijftien and German fünfzehn.
Like most Celtic numbering systems, they tend to be vigesimal
Vigesimal
The vigesimal or base 20 numeral system is based on twenty .- Places :...
(based
Radix
In mathematical numeral systems, the base or radix for the simplest case is the number of unique digits, including zero, that a positional numeral system uses to represent numbers. For example, for the decimal system the radix is ten, because it uses the ten digits from 0 through 9.In any numeral...
on the number twenty
20 (number)
20 is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score.-In mathematics:*20 is the basis for vigesimal number systems....
), but they usually lack words to describe quantities larger than twenty; though this is not a limitation of either modernised decimal Celtic counting systems or the older ones. To count a large number of sheep, a shepherd would repeatedly count to twenty, placing a mark on the ground, or move his hand to another mark on his crook, or drop a pebble into his pocket to represent each score
20 (number)
20 is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score.-In mathematics:*20 is the basis for vigesimal number systems....
(e.g. 5 score sheep = 100 sheep).
It is also worth noting the number theory behind the scheme. Although decimal up to 10, in most dialects the scheme then changes to counting in (sub-)base 5
Quinary
Quinary is a numeral system with five as the base. A possible origination of a quinary system is that there are five fingers on either hand. The base five is stated from 0-4...
. It is possible to carry out limited arithmetic in base 5 on numbers up to 30 (decimal) using your fingers as a rudimentary abacus. It is pure speculation, but there may be a connection between the two facts, and the shepherds of England may have carried out limited accounting on their fingers.
In particular, the names of the numbers fit a pattern in which the index finger and forefinger each represent 0 when retracted, 1 when bent, and 2 when straight, while the other three fingers each represent 5 when extended. The rhyming transitions occur with the straightening of a finger, and the pattern repeats at intervals of 5. Thus, with two hands, a person can count up to 399. In the similar but simpler system, discernible in Roman numerals, in which the thumb is 5 and the other fingers 1 each, a person can only count up to 99 on two hands. The Yan Tan Tethera system was thus advantageous until writing made the limitation of two hands less important.
Another reason for the use of base five is suggested by the design of the shepherds crook which has grooves, nobbles, nicks or other impressions on it which enable the shepherd to note the number of fives counted on the other hand. Using base five counting in this way allows the shepherd to total as many sheep as the markings on the crook will allow, each mark representing five sheep.
Their use is also attested in a knitting song from Yorkshire.
Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, County Durham and Lancashire
| Number | Bowland Forest of Bowland The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire... |
Rathmell Rathmell Rathmell is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the River Ribble and about three miles south of Settle. Other towns and villages nearby include Wigglesworth, Tosside, Giggleswick and Long Preston.... |
Nidderdale Nidderdale Nidderdale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It is the upper valley of the River Nidd, which flows south through the dale, forming several reservoirs including the Gouthwaite Reservoir, before turning east and eventually joining the River Ouse.The only town in the dale is... |
Swaledale Swaledale Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire.-Geographical overview:... |
Wharfedale Wharfedale Wharfedale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is the valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham, and Wetherby... |
Teesdale Teesdale Teesdale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in England. Large parts of Teesdale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The River Tees rises below Cross Fell, the highest hill in the Pennines, and its... |
| 1 | Yain | Aen | Yain | Yan | Yan | Yan |
| 2 | Tain | Taen | Tain | Tan | Tan | Tean |
| 3 | Eddera | Tethera | Eddero | Tether | Tether | Tether |
| 4 | Peddera | Fethera | Peddero | Mether | Mether | |
| 5 | Pit | Phubs | Pitts | Pip | Pip | |
| 6 | Tayter | Aayther | Tayter | Azer | Lezar | |
| 7 | Layter | Layather | Layter | Sezar | Azar | |
| 8 | Overa | Quoather | Overo | Akker | Catrah | |
| 9 | Covera | Quaather | Covero | Conter | Borna | |
| 10 | Dix | Dugs | Dix | Dick | Dick | |
| 11 | Yain-a-dix | Aena dugs | Yaindix | Yanadick | Yan-a-dick | |
| 12 | Tain-a-dix | Taena dugs | Taindix | Tanadick | Tean-a-dick | |
| 13 | Eddera-a-dix | Tethera dugs | Edderodix | Tetheradick | Tether-dick | |
| 14 | Peddera-a-dix | Fethera dugs | Pedderodix | Metheradick | Mether-dick | |
| 15 | Bumfit | Buon | Bumfit | Bumfit | Bumfit | |
| 16 | Yain-a-bumfit | Aena buon | Yain-o-Bumfit | Yanabum | Yan-a-bum | |
| 17 | Tain-a-bumfit | Taena buon | Tain-o-Bumfit | Tanabum | Tean-a-bum | |
| 18 | Eddera-bumfit | Tethera buon | Eddero-Bumfit | Tetherabum | Tethera-bum | |
| 19 | Peddera-a-bumfit | Fethera buon | Peddero-Bumfit | Metherabum | Methera-bum | |
| 20 | Jiggit | Gun a gun | Jiggit | Jigget | Jiggit | |
| Number | Derbyshire Derbyshire Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx... |
Weardale Weardale Weardale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in County Durham, in England. Large parts of Weardale fall within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the second largest AONB in England and Wales. The upper valley is surrounded by high fells and heather grouse... |
Tong Tong, West Yorkshire Tong is a Ward in City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, named after Tong village which is its oldest settlement.- Geography :... |
Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby Lonsdale is a small town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, on the River Lune. Historically within Westmorland, it is situated south east of Kendal along the A65. The parish had a population of 1,771 recorded in the 2001 census.Notable buildings include St... |
Wensleydale Wensleydale Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen... |
Derbyshire Dales Derbyshire Dales Derbyshire Dales is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Much of the district is situated in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent.... |
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders... |
| 1 | Yain | Yan | Yan | Yaan | Yain | Yan | Yan |
| 2 | Tain | Teyan | Tan | Tyaan | Tain | Tan | Tan |
| 3 | Eddero | Tethera | Tether | Taed'ere | Eddero | Tethera | Tethera |
| 4 | Pederro | Methera | Mether | Mead'ere | Peddero | Methera | Pethera |
| 5 | Pitts | Tic | Pick | Mimp | Pitts | Pip | Pimp |
| 6 | Tayter | Yan-a-tic | Sesan | Haites | Tayter | Sethera | Sethera |
| 7 | Later | Teyan-a-tic | Asel | Saites | Later | Lethera | Lethera |
| 8 | Overro | Tethera-tic | Catel | Haoves | Overro | Hovera | Hovera |
| 9 | Coverro | Methera-tic | Oiner | Daoves | Coverro | Dovera | Covera |
| 10 | Dix | Bub | Dick | Dik | Disc | Dick | Dik |
| 11 | Yain-dix | Yan-a-bub | Yanadick | Yaan'edik | Yain disc | Yan-a-dik | |
| 12 | Tain-dix | Teyan-a-bub | Tanadick | Tyaan'edik | Tain disc | Tan-a-dik | |
| 13 | Eddero-dix | Tethera-bub | Tetheradick | Tead'eredik | Ederro disc | Tethera-dik | |
| 14 | Peddero-dix | Methera-bub | Metheradick | Mead'eredik | Peddero disc | Pethera-dik | |
| 15 | Bumfitt | Tic-a-bub | Bumfit | Boon, buom, buum | Bumfitt | Bumfit | |
| 16 | Yain-o-bumfitt | Yan-tic-a-bub | Yanabum | Yaan'eboon | Bumfitt yain | Yan-a-bumfit | |
| 17 | Tain-o-bumfitt | Teyan-tic-a-bub | Tanabum | Tyaan'eboon | Bumfitt tain | Tan-a-bumfit | |
| 18 | Eddero-o-bumfitt | Tethea-tic-a-bub | Tetherabum | Tead'ereboon | Bumfitt ederro | Tethera-bumfit | |
| 19 | Peddero-o-bumfitt | Methera-tic-a-bub | Metherabum | Mead'ereboon | Bumfitt peddero | | | Pethera-bumfit |
| 20 | Jiggit | Gigget | Jigget | Buom'fit, buum'fit | Jiggit | Figgot | |
| Number | Southern England Southern England Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct... (Variations) |
West Country Dorset/Wilts |
| 1 | Yahn | Hant |
| 2 | Tayn | Tant |
| 3 | Tether | Tothery |
| 4 | Mether | Forthery |
| 5 | Mumph | Fant |
| 6 | Hither | Sahny |
| 7 | Lither | Dahny |
| 8 | Auver | Downy |
| 9 | Dauver | Dominy |
| 10 | Dic | Dik |
| 11 | Yahndic | Haindik |
| 12 | Tayndic | Taindik |
| 13 | Tetherdic | Totherydik |
| 14 | Metherdic | Fotherydik |
| 15 | Mumphit | Jiggen |
| 16 | Yahna Mumphit | Hain Jiggen |
| 17 | Tayna Mumphit | Tain Jiggen |
| 18 | Tethera Mumphit | Tother Jiggen |
| 19 | Methera Mumphit | Fother Jiggen |
| 20 | Jigif | Full Score |
[Essex or East Anglia]
Cumbria, Cumberland, and Westmorland
| Number | Coniston Coniston, Cumbria Coniston is a village and civil parish in the Furness region of Cumbria, England. It is located in the southern part of the Lake District National Park, between Coniston Water, the third longest lake in the Lake District, and Coniston Old Man; about north east of Barrow-in-Furness.-Geography and... |
Borrowdale Borrowdale Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the... |
Eskdale Eskdale, Cumbria Eskdale is a glacial valley and civil parish in the western Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and has a population of 264.... |
Westmorland Westmorland Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:... |
| 1 | Yan | Yan | Yaena | Yan |
| 2 | Taen | Tyan | Taena | Tahn |
| 3 | Tedderte | Tethera | Teddera | Teddera |
| 4 | Medderte | Methera | Meddera | Meddera |
| 5 | Pimp | Pimp | Pimp | Pimp |
| 6 | Haata | Sethera | Hofa | Settera |
| 7 | Slaata | Lethera | Lofa | Lettera |
| 8 | Lowra | Hovera | Seckera | Hovera |
| 9 | Dowra | Dovera | Leckera | Dovera |
| 10 | Dick | Dick | Dec | Dick |
| 11 | Yan-a-Dick | Yan-a-Dick | Yan Dick | |
| 12 | Taen-a-Dick | Tyan-a-Dick | Tahn Dick | |
| 13 | Tedder-a-Dick | Tethera - Dick | Teddera Dick | |
| 14 | Medder-a-Dick | Methera - Dick | Meddera Dick | |
| 15 | Mimph | Bumfit | Bumfit | |
| 16 | Yan-a-Mimph | Yan-a-bumfit | Yan-a-Bumfit | |
| 17 | Taen-a-Mimph | Tyan-a-bumfit | Tahn-a Bumfit | |
| 18 | Tedder-a-Mimph | Tethera Bumfit | Teddera-Bumfit | |
| 19 | Medder-a-Mimph | Methera Bumfit | Meddera-Bumfit | |
| 20 | Gigget | Giggot | Jiggot | |
Wilts, Scots, Lakes, Dales and Welsh
From British Archaeology Issue no 46, July 1999| Number | Wilts | Scots Scots language Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted... |
Lakes | Dales Dale (origin) A dale is an open valley. The name is used when describing the physical geography of an area. It is used most frequently in the Lowlands of Scotland and in the North of England, where the term "fell" commonly refers to the mountains or hills that flank the dale.The word dale comes from the Old... |
Welsh Welsh language Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa... |
| 1 | Ain | Yan | Auna | Yain | Un |
| 2 | Tain | Tyan | Peina | Tain | Dau |
| 3 | Tethera | Tethera | Para | Edderoa | Tri |
| 4 | Methera | Methera | Peddera | Peddero | Pedwar |
| 5 | Mimp | Pimp | Pimp | Pitts | Pump |
| 6 | Ayta | Sethera | Ithy | Tayter | Chwech |
| 7 | Slayta | Lethera | Mithy | Leter | Saith |
| 8 | Laura | Hovera | Owera | Overro | Wyth |
| 9 | Dora | Dovera | Lowera | Coverro | Naw |
| 10 | Dik | Dik | Dig | Dix | Deg |
| 11 | Ain-a-dik | Yanadik | Ain-a-dig | Yain-dix | Un ar ddeg |
| 12 | Tain-a-dik | Tyanadik | Pein-a-dig | Tain-dix | Deuddeg |
| 13 | Tethera-a-dik | Tetheradik | Para-a-dig | Eddero-dix | Tri ar ddeg |
| 14 | Methera-a-dik | Metheradik | Peddaer-a-dig | Pedderp-dix | Pedwar ar ddeg |
| 15 | Mit | Bumfitt | Bunfit | Bumfitt | Pymtheg |
| 16 | Ain-a-mit | Yanabumfit | Aina-a-bumfit | Yain-o-bumfitt | Un ar bymtheg |
| 17 | Tain-a-mit | Tyanabumfitt | Pein-a-bumfit | Tain-o-bumfitt | Dau ar bymtheg |
| 18 | Tethera-mit | Tetherabumfitt | Par-a-bunfit | Eddero-bumfitt | Deunaw |
| 19 | Gethera-mit | Metherabumfitt | Pedder-a-bumfit | Peddero-bumfitt | Pedwar ar bymtheg |
| 20 | Ghet | Giggot | Giggy | Jiggit | Ugain |
Numerals in Brythonic Celtic Languages
| Number | Ancient British | Old Welsh | Welsh Welsh language Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa... |
Cornish (Kemmyn) Cornish language Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate... |
Breton Breton language Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as... |
| 1 | *Oinos, *Oinā (fem), *Oinom (neut) | Un | Un | Unn (definite), Onan | Unan |
| 2 | *Dāwū, *Dwei (fem) | Dou | Dau, Dwy (fem) | Dew, Diw f. | Daou, Div (fem) |
| 3 | *Trīs, *Teseres | Tri | Tri, Tair (fem) | Tri, Teyr f. | Tri, Teir (fem) |
| 4 | *Petwār, *Peteseres | Petuar | Pedwar, Pedair (fem) | Peswar, Peder f. | Pevar, Peder (fem) |
| 5 | *Penpe | Pimp | Pump | Pymp | Pemp |
| 6 | *Swexs | Chwech | Chwech | Hwegh | C'hwec'h |
| 7 | *Sextam | Seith | Saith | Seyth | Seizh |
| 8 | *Oxtū | Wyth | Wyth | Eth | Eizh |
| 9 | *Nawan | Nau | Naw | Naw | Nav |
| 10 | *Dekam | Dec | Deg | Deg | Dek |
| 11 | *Oindekam | Un ar ddeg | Unnek | Unnek | |
| 12 | *Daudekam | Deuddeg | Dewdhek | Daouzek | |
| 13 | *Trīdekam | Tair ar ddeg | Trydhek | Trizek | |
| 14 | *Petwārdekam | Pedair ar ddeg | Peswardhek | Pevarzek | |
| 15 | *Penpedekam | Pymtheg | Pympthek | Pemzek | |
| 16 | *Swedekam | Un ar bymtheg | Hwetek | C'hwezek | |
| 17 | *Sextandekam | Dwy ar bymtheg | Seytek | Seitek | |
| 18 | *Oxtūdekam | Deunaw | Etek | Triwec'h | |
| 19 | *Nawandekam | Pedair ar bymtheg | Nownsek | Naontek | |
| 20 | *Wikantī | Ugain | Ugens | Ugent | |
Miscellaneous
The English composer Harrison BirtwistleHarrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
(b. 1934) composed a chamber opera entitled Yan Tan Tethera
Yan Tan Tethera (opera)
Yan Tan Tethera is a chamber opera by the English composer Harrison Birtwistle with a libretto by the poet Tony Harrison, based on a supernatural folk tale about two shepherds, their sheep, and the Devil. It was first performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 7 August 1986...
(subtitled "a mechanical pastoral") in 1984 with a libretto by the poet Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison is an English poet and playwright. He is noted for controversial works such as the poem V and Fram, as well as his versions of ancient Greek tragedies, including the Oresteia and Hecuba...
. It is based on a folk tale about two shepherds, and includes sheep being counted using 'Yan Tan Tethera' and the rival 'One Two Three' system.
Yan Tan Tethera is the name of a book by David Herter
David Herter
David Herter is an American author. His first novel was Ceres Storm in 2000, which was chosen as one of the top 10 science fiction books of 2000 by Amazon.com, followed by Evening's Empire in 2002....
related to his first novel, Ceres Storm
Ceres Storm
Ceres Storm is a 2000 science fiction novel by American author David Herter.-Plot summary:In the distant future on a terraformed Mars, Daric discovers that he is a clone of a former Emperor of Earth named Darius. Daric is kidnapped by Kay-Tee agents in an attempt to bring him to earth to open...
.
In the Broadway musical The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
, Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn, the mayor's wife, uses a different version of the Yan Tan Tethera ("Een Teen Tuther Feather Pip!") in the "Indian Tongue" of her "spectacle" with the schoolchildren.
English chansonnier
Chansonnier
A chansonnier is a manuscript or printed book which contains a collection of chansons, or polyphonic and monophonic settings of songs, hence literally "song-books," although some manuscripts are so called even though they preserve the text but not the music A chansonnier is a manuscript or...
Jake Thackray
Jake Thackray
John Philip "Jake" Thackray , was an English singer-songwriter, poet and journalist. Best known in the late 1960s and early 1970s for his topical comedy songs performed on British television, his work ranged from satirical to bawdy to sentimental to pastoral, with a strong emphasis on storytelling,...
wrote, performed and recorded a song about a shepherdess, entitled Old Molly Metcalfe, with the refrain Yan Tean Tether Mether Pip she counted. In the introduction to the song he describes how Swaledale
Swaledale
Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire.-Geographical overview:...
sheep farmers "count their sheep in a curious fashion," and gives the entire sequence from 1 to 20.
In Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake
Finnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
, James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
quotes the counting rhyme onus, yan, tyan, tethera, methera, pimp.
In The Mating of Lydia, by Mrs Humphrey Ward
Mary Augusta Ward
Mary Augusta Ward née Arnold; , was a British novelist who wrote under her married name as Mrs Humphry Ward.- Early life:...
, the following counting rhyme is quoted as being from the northern dales: "Yan—tyan—tethera—methera—pimp—sethera—lethera—hovera—dovera—dick—Yan-a-dick—tyan-a-dick—tethera-a-dick—methera-a-dick—bumfit—Yan-a-bumfit—tyan-a-bumfit—tethera-a-bumfit—methera-a-bumfit—giggot"
In Terry Pratchett's
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
novel The Wee Free Men
The Wee Free Men
The Wee Free Men, first published in 2003, is the second Story of The Discworld book for younger readers. A sequel, A Hat Full of Sky, appeared in 2004 , a third book, Wintersmith appeared in 2006, and the fourth, I Shall Wear Midnight, was released in September...
the heroine, Tiffany Aching
Tiffany Aching
Tiffany Aching is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's satirical Discworld series of fantasy novels.Tiffany is a trainee witch whose growth into her job forms one of the many arcs in the Discworld series. She is the main character in The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, and I...
, is called "little jiggit" by her Grandmother, a female shepherd, as Tiffany was her twentieth grandchild; also, the titular race
Nac Mac Feegle
The Nac Mac Feegle are a type of fairy folk appearing in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels Carpe Jugulum, The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear...
of sheep-stealing pictsies, use the "yan-tan-teth'ra" sequence for counting off. The "yan tan teth'ra" system of counting is said to be used for "important things," such as sheep and grandchildren. (They also use it for groups counting in unison before lifting heavy objects, but usually those are sheep or kine they're stealing.)
In a novel by Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
, Azincourt, the central character is an English archer, preparing for battle in 1415. He "turned to count his men. He did it in the old way of the country, like a shepherd counting his flock, just as his father had taught him. Yain, tain, eddero, he counted and got to bumfit, which was fifteen, and looked for the extra man and saw two. Tain-o-bumfit?"
In Garth Nix
Garth Nix
Garth Nix is an Australian author of young adult fantasy novels, most notably the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. He has frequently been asked if his name is a pseudonym, to which he has responded, "I guess people ask me because it sounds like the...
novel Grim Tuesday
Grim Tuesday
Grim Tuesday is a novel written by Garth Nix in 2004, and was first published in the USA by Scholastic Press and in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children's Books. It is the second book in the Keys to the Kingdom series, and it focuses on Arthur Penhaligon’s quest to regain his place as the...
, Grim Tuesday splits his Dawn, Noon, and Dusk servants into seven parts named Yan, Tan, Tethera, Methera, Pits, Sethera and Azer.
Joan Aiken's
Joan Aiken
Joan Delano Aiken MBE was an English novelist. She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, American poet Conrad Aiken , her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge and her brother John Aiken Joan Delano Aiken MBE (4 September 1924 – 4 January 2004) was an English novelist....
children's book The Cuckoo Tree features ten "Gentlemen" named Yan, Tan, Tethera, Methera, Pip, Sethera, Wineberry, Wagtail, Tarrydiddle and Den.
The children's album Fiddle Up a Tune by Eric Nagler
Eric Nagler
Eric Nagler is an American-born musician and television personality known primarily for his work on Canadian children's television series such as The Elephant Show.- Biography :...
features a song "Yan Tan Tethera," whose eponymous phrase begins an incantation used to calm leprechauns: "Yan tan tethera, one two three: All you little ones, let us be. Hevapin sethera, four five six: Lay down your magic fiddlesticks."
The Bad Shepherds
The Bad Shepherds
The Bad Shepherds are a British folk band formed by the comedian Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They play punk songs with traditional folk instruments...
, a band featuring TV comedian Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
, released an album entitled Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera in April 2009. It consists mostly of punk songs performed in the folk style.
External links
- More about usage
- Tim Gay - Rural dialects and surviving Britons
- Cornish numerals, including mp3s for pronunciations
- Breton numerals
- Carol Justus' use of this numbering system to explain pre-decimal counting systems
- The Sheep Counting Score - By Walter Skeat, 1910
- Modern Welsh decimal system and older vigesimal system in full