Ethiopic numeral ten

It is the Ethiopic sign for ten. It marks a quantity, rather than a syllable in Ethiopic writing.

In ፲፩, it contributes ten alongside ፩ (one), making eleven. Before ፻ (one hundred), it acts as a multiplier: ፲፻ means one thousand.

Where do the Ethiopic numeral forms come from?

The numerals developed over time, but their exact ancestry is disputed. A 2023 study identifies Ḥǝnzat Stela 1, an inscribed stone, as the earliest surviving evidence of Ethiopic numeral signs; earlier inscriptions spelled numbers out.

One account traces the shapes to Greek letter numerals, which used letters as number signs, perhaps through Coptic letterforms (from Coptic, an Egyptian language). Another argues they developed from Ethiopic letters written without vowel marks and from punctuation. The script’s separate connection to South Arabian writing does not settle the numerals’ origin.

Forms of ten with and without horizontal bars occur in historical and typographic contexts; the marks do not change its value. As of 2026, European digits are often used in current Ethiopic writing, while manuscript work still records dates with Ethiopic numerals.

How do I type ፲?

Keyboard entry depends on the layout you use.

On an Ethiopic keyboard, keystrokes act as temporary input codes that the layout converts into stored characters; each layout chooses its own sequence. An editor’s Unicode picker is another option, though its menus vary by system.