--- deliantra/server/common/item.C	2010/04/04 02:57:10	1.80
+++ deliantra/server/common/item.C	2010/04/05 20:33:13	1.81
@@ -73,14 +73,14 @@
   "eighty", "ninety"
 };
 
-static char levelnumbers[21][20] = {
+static char ordnumbers[21][20] = {
   "zeroth", "first", "second", "third", "fourth", "fifth", "sixth", "seventh",
   "eighth", "ninth", "tenth", "eleventh", "twelfth", "thirteenth",
-  "fourteenth", "fifteenth", "sixteenth", "seventeenth", "eighteen",
-  "nineteen", "twentieth"
+  "fourteenth", "fifteenth", "sixteenth", "seventeenth", "eighteenth",
+  "nineteenth", "twentieth"
 };
 
-static char levelnumbers_10[11][20] = {
+static char ordnumbers_10[11][20] = {
   "zeroth", "tenth", "twentieth", "thirtieth", "fortieth", "fiftieth", "sixtieth",
   "seventieth", "eightieth", "ninetieth"
 };
@@ -389,25 +389,29 @@
  * the number requested (of the form first, second, third...)
  */
 const char *
-get_levelnumber (int i)
+ordinal (int i)
 {
-  static char buf[MAX_BUF];
-
-  if (i > 99)
-    {
-      sprintf (buf, "%d.", i);
-      return buf;
-    }
+  if (i < 0)
+    return format ("minus %s", ordinal (-i));
 
   if (i < 21)
-    return levelnumbers[i];
+    return ordnumbers[i];
 
-  if (!(i % 10))
-    return levelnumbers_10[i / 10];
+  int digit = i % 10;
 
-  strcpy (buf, numbers_10[i / 10]);
-  strcat (buf, levelnumbers[i % 10]);
-  return buf;
+  if (i >= 100)
+    return format (
+      digit == 1   ? "%dst"
+        : digit == 2 ? "%dnd"
+        : digit == 3 ? "%drd"
+        :              "%dth",
+      i
+    );
+
+  if (digit == 0)
+    return ordnumbers_10[i / 10];
+  else
+    return format ("%s%s", numbers_10[i / 10], ordnumbers[i % 10]);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1210,7 +1214,7 @@
     {
       case SPELLBOOK:
         if (flag [FLAG_IDENTIFIED] && inv)
-          buf.printf ("%s is a level %s %s spell.\r", &inv->name, get_levelnumber (inv->level), &inv->skill);
+          buf.printf ("%s is a %s level %s spell.\r", &inv->name, ordinal (inv->level), &inv->skill);
         break;
 
       case BOOK: