Illustrative Context

One plus one is two.

Target Sense

• The default numeral two, as used when referring to inanimate objects.
• Avoid the noun for a group of two, e.g. twosome, _pair or couple.
• Avoid any different terms used specifically when referring to humans or other animates.
• Avoid any different terms used specifically when referring to things that naturally come in pairs: eyes, hands, etc..

• Avoid terms specific to counting up or down, if different. In Russian, for example, the lexeme for IE CoR one is odin, not raz.

• In some languages, the same word root for the numeral two can take different grammatical forms.

  • In languages that have gender, give the common or masculine form.
  • In languages that have a contrasting emphatic form, avoid this and give the non-emphatic form.
  • In languages that have a distinct dual form of the two word, used only for things that naturally come in pairs (e.g. eyes, hands), avoid this and give the form of the two word used more generally.

• See also the target sense definitions for all five lowest numerals covered in IE-CoR: one, two, three, four, five.