эти проклятые порядковые числительные

[slovami.livejournal.com]

In class today we were reading out loud and came to the phrase:

люди XVII–XVIII веков (people of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries).

How would you read that? Please think about it before you look under the cut! Well, html isn't working so well in this browser, so just think about it before you read the next line.

The professor said it would be correct to say семнадцатых–восемнадцатых веков. But then one student said his old teacher taught him to say семнадцатого–восемнадцатого веков. Who is right?

Thanks!

Comments

[sofa-m.livejournal.com]

I think the correct way is 'люди семнадцатого-восемнадцатого века', I know that's not what your text says, but perhaps the text is wrong :)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Nope. The way you suggest it, it's EITHER 17th OR 18th century people. If you mean BOTH centuries, there's no other way to say it except "семнадцатого-восемнадцатого веков" (as we are speaking about TWO centuries here, not ONE, therefore the plural form.)