Yoruba numerals

According to Lounge,[1] the Yoruba language has a rather elaborate vigesimal (base-20) numeral system that involves both addition and subtraction and multiplication.

The base of the counting system is ogún 'twenty' (or 'score'). There are words for each of the decades; units in 1–4 are created by adding to these, while units in 5–9 are created by subtracting from the next decade. The odd decades are created by subtracting ten from the next even decade, as in Danish.

Up to 30, Yoruba has distinct forms of the numerals for counting objects, which derive from counting cowries.

NumeralObjects*Tens**Fives and tensHundredHundredsThousandsMyriads
1ení, ọ̀kanoókàn 11ọ̀kanlá, oókànlá10+1 25ẹ́ẹdọ́gbọ̀n305 110àádọ́fà20×6−10 210ẹ̀walélúɡba200+10 1400egbèje 200×7 8,000ẹgbàárin2000×4
2èjìeéjì 12èjìlá, eéjìlá10+2 30ọgbọ̀n, ọɡbọ̀n ǒ 120ọ(gọ́)fà20×6 300ọ̀ọ́dúrún400?−100 1600ẹgbẹ̀jọ 200×8 9,000ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbàárùn2000×5−1000
3ẹ̀taẹẹ́ta 13ẹ̀talá, ẹẹ́talá10+3 35aárùndílogójì20×25 130àádóje20×7−10 400irinwó4×? 1800ẹgbẹ̀sàn 200×9 10,000ẹgbàárùn2000×5
4ẹ̀rinẹẹ́rin 14ẹ̀rinlá, ẹẹ́rìnlá10+4 40ogójì › ojì20×2 140o(gó)je20×7 500ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta200×3−100 2,000ẹgbẹ̀wá ~ ẹgbàá200×10 16,000ẹgbàájọ2000×8
5àrúnaárùn 15ẹ́ẹdógún***205 50àádọ́ta20×310 150àádọ́jọ20×8−10 600ẹgbẹ̀ta200×3 2,200ẹgboókànlá200×11 20,000ẹgbàawǎ; ọkẹ́ kán2,000×10; 1 bag
6ẹ̀fàẹẹ́fà 16ẹẹ́rìndílógún204 60ọgọ́ta › ọta20×3 160ọ(gọ́)jọ20×8 700ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin200×4−100 3,000ẹgbẹ́ẹdógún200×15 100,000ọkẹ́ marun5 bags
7èjeeéje 17eétàdílógún203 70àádọ́rin20×410 170àádọ́sán20×9−10 800ẹgbẹ̀rin200×4 4,000ẹgbàajì2,000×2 1,000,000àádọ́ta ọkẹ́; ẹgbẹ̀ẹgbẹ̀rún50 bags; 1000×1000
8ẹ̀jọẹẹ́jọ 18eéjìdílógún202 80ọgọ́rin › ọrin20×4 180ọ(gọ́)sàn20×9 900ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rún200×5−100 5,000ẹgbẹ́ẹdọ́gbọ̀n200×25 2,000,000ọgọ́rùn ọkẹ́, ọrún ọkẹ́100 bags
9ẹ̀sánẹẹ́sàn 19oókàndílógún201 90àádọ́rùn20×5−10 190ẹ̀wadilúɡba200−10 1000ẹgbẹ̀rún200×5 6,000ẹgbàáta2000×3
10ẹ̀wáẹẹ́wàá 20ogún, okòó 100ọgọ́rùn › ọrún20×5 200igba, igbéo—**** 1200ẹgbẹ̀fà 200×6 7,000ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbarin2000×4−1000
* Oókàn is a contraction of owó ọ̀kan 'one cowrie'; 2–10, 20, and 30 are analogous.
** is a contraction of lé ẹ̀wá 'and ten'.
*** Ẹ́ẹdógún is a contraction of aárùndí(n)(l)ogún 'five from twenty'.
*** igbéo is a contraction of igba owó 'a heap of cowries'.

Ogún is the basic word for twenty, okòó the word when counting objects. For thirty, the forms are ọgbọ̀n and ọɡbọ̀n ǒ. Units apart from the fives are generally transparent: oókànlélógún 'twenty-one', eéjìdínlọ́ɡbọ̀n 'twenty-eight', etc. There are also more recent decimal forms for the thousands: 2,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún méjì 'thousand twice', 3,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún mẹ́ta 'thousand thrice', etc., as well as additive forms for the fives, due to the influence of English. Numbers higher than 20,000 also tend to be transparent: 40,000 is ẹgbaawa lonan meji '20,000 two times'.

Notes

  1. Lounge, 2009.

References

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