How to count in Punu
Enter a number and read it spelled out in Punu.
Language overview
Punu, also known as Yipunu, is a Bantu language from the Niger-Congo family. Spoken in the Tchibanga area of Gabon by the Bapunu people, it counts about 130,000 speakers.
Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 9,999 in Punu. Please contact us if you can help us counting up from that limit.
Punu numbering rules
- Numbers from one to nine are specific words, namely imossi [1], bidédji [2], birriéwou [3], bine [4], biranou [5], bissiaamounou [6], issambouali [7], inane [8], and ifou [9].
- The tens are formed by putting mawouma before their multiplier digit, with some exceptions: diwouni [10], mawouma bédji [20], mawouma riérwou [30], mawoumane [40], mawoumaranou [50], mawoumassiamounou [60], doussambouali doumawoumi [70], innane imawoumi [80], and ifou mawoumi [90].
- Compound numbers are formed by saying the ten, then the coordinator na, and the unit (e.g.: diwouni na inane [18], mawoumaranou na bine [54]).
- Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier digit after the word for hundred (kame), except for one hundred itself, unless composed: kame [100], kame bidédji [200], kame birriéwou [300], kame bine [400]…
- Thousands are formed the same way as hundreds, i.e. by setting the multiplier digit after the word for thousand (ivévi), except for one thousand itself, unless composed: ivévi [1,000], ivévi bidédji [2,000], ivévi birriéwou [3,000], ivévi bine [4,000]…
- Each group of numbers is linked to the others with na (and), tens and units, but also hundreds and tens, thousands and hundreds… (e.g.: mawouma bédji na birriéwou [23], kame imossi na mawoumaranou [150], ivévi imossi na kame bidédji na mawouma riérwou na bine [1,234]).
Books
- In French
- Parlons yipunu : langue et culture des Punu du Gabon-Congo [
], Roger Mabik-ma-Kombil, L’Harmattan (2001)
Numbers list
| 1 – imossi 2 – bidédji 3 – birriéwou 4 – bine 5 – biranou 6 – bissiaamounou 7 – issambouali 8 – inane 9 – ifou | 10 – diwouni 11 – diwouni na imossi 12 – diwouni na bidédji 13 – diwouni na birriéwou 14 – diwouni na bine 15 – diwouni na biranou 16 – diwouni na bissiaamounou 17 – diwouni na issambouali 18 – diwouni na inane | 19 – diwouni na ifou 20 – mawouma bédji 30 – mawouma riérwou 40 – mawoumane 50 – mawoumaranou 60 – mawoumassiamounou 70 – doussambouali doumawoumi 80 – innane imawoumi 90 – ifou mawoumi | 100 – kame 1,000 – ivévi |
Other supported languages
Supported languages by families
As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the following select box, or from the full list of supported languages.