Grammar - Numerals
Numerals
Ethymology (ancient Nalheárlu)
There were two sets of numerals in ancient Nalheárlu (Sú-Nalheàrlu): usual and sacred. Both numeral sets were based on five-root stem system, due to the fact that one used to count using fingers. Thus, the numbers were named in accordance to their "fingering"
| Usual language |
Sacred language |
||
| compound form | derived form | ||
| 1 | axí | dosót | |
| 2 | aní | nohí | |
| 3 | iné | rotó | |
| 4 | oppá | ckosót | |
| 5 | ofé | patí | |
| 6 | axíaxí | xiá | dosón |
| 7 | aníaní | niá | nohín |
| 8 | inéiné | náe | rotón |
| 9 | oppáoppá | ppáe | ckosón |
| 10 | oféofé | féo |
patín |
In Usual language, as both 1 and 6 were counted using the thumb, 1 was named axí and 6 was named "thumb twice" - axíaxí. That derived quickly into a shorter form xía. In the sacred language, the suffix n was used for the same purposes as doubling in the usual.
Modern Nalheárlu
The whole system has evolved into a single set of numerals from 1 to 10.
In this system, the word nóe is used for "1", meaning both "finger" and "one".
| 1 | nóe |
| 2 | rle |
| 3 | inél |
| 4 | ckosól |
| 5 | padí |
| 6 | xiál |
| 7 | nohín |
| 8 | rotón |
| 9 | ppáel |
| 10 | féo |
Compound numerals are formed in quite a tricky way:
11 féo-axí ! the ancient word for "one" is used only here
12 féo-rlé
13 féo-inél
19 féo-ppáel
20 rle-féo
21 rlé-féo-nóe
22 rle-féo-rlé
99 ppáel-féo-ppáel
100 féo-patín ! the ancient form of 10 is used to indicate hundred.
101 féo-patín-nóe
110 féo-axí-patín ! "hundred and ten" is "ten times eleven"
111 féo-axí-patín-nóe "ten times eleven and one"
120 féo-rlé-patín
121 féo-rlé-patín-nóe
198 féo-ppáel-patín-rotón
200 rle-féo-patín "ten times twenty"
222 rle-féo-rlé-patín-rlé "ten times twenty two and two"
1000 féo-patín-féo
1111 féo-patín-féo-féo-axí-patín-nóe simply add "thousand" to 111
2222 rle-féo-patín-féo-rlé-féo-rlé-patín-rlé
5482 padí-féo-patín-féo-ckosól-féo-rotón-patín-rlé
NOTE: the ancient sacred forms for 1, 2, and 3 (dosót, nohí, rotó) are still to be found in sacred texts or in poetic style.