Counting in Ayeri

Language overview

Forty-two in Ayeri Ayeri (Ayeri) is an artistic constructed language created by the German linguist Carsten Becker since December 2003. Ayeri is a South-Western-Kataynian language and has about 3.3 million speakers. It is mainly spoken in the United Western Lands, but also in the Ayeri Republic and the Republic of Tuvrang. Ayeri has its own script, named Tahano Hikamu, which literally means round script, an abudiga similar to Devanagari.

Ayeri numbers list

  • 112 – 1 men men
  • 212 – 2 sam sam
  • 312 – 3 kay kj
  • 412 – 4 yo yo
  • 512 – 5 iri iri
  • 612 – 6 miye miye
  • 712 – 7 ito ito
  • 812 – 8 hen hen
  • 912 – 9 veya veya
  • A12 – ¹ mal mal
  • B12 – ² tam tam
  • 1012 – 10 menlan menlnF
  • 1112 – 11 menlan-men menlnF/men
  • 1212 – 12 menlan-sam menlnF/sam
  • 1312 – 13 menlan-kay menlnF/kj
  • 1412 – 14 menlan-yo menlnF/yo
  • 1512 – 15 menlan-iri menlnF/iri
  • 1612 – 16 menlan-miye menlnF/miye
  • 1712 – 17 menlan-ito menlnF/ito
  • 1812 – 18 menlan-hen menlnF/hen
  • 1912 – 19 menlan-veya menlnF/veya
  • 1A12 –  menlan-mal menlnF/mal
  • 1B12 –  menlan-tam menlnF/tam
  • 2012 – 20 samlan samlnF
  • 3012 – 30 kaylan kjlnF
  • 4012 – 40 yolan yolnF
  • 5012 – 50 irilan irilnF
  • 6012 – 60 miyelan miyelnF
  • 7012 – 70 itolan itolnF
  • 8012 – 80 henlan henlnF
  • 9012 – 90 veyalan veyalnF
  • A012 – ¹0 mallan mallnF
  • B012 – ²0 tamlan tamlnF
  • 10012 – 100 menang menang

The duodecimal numeral system

Ayeri numbers follow the duodecimal numeral system, or base-12. To better understand the duodecimal numeral system, let’s start with a more familiar one: the decimal system. In the decimal system (or base-10), we have ten digits, from zero to nine. When we add 1 (one) to 9 (nine), we get 10 (ten), or the unit 1 (one) followed by 0 (zero). This system is positional (the digits represent the units, and their rank the matching power of ten). Thus, 238 decomposes in 200 + 30 + 8 = 2*102 + 3 *101 + 8 *100. This system is also known as a positional decimal numeral system.
Base-12 uses digits from 0 to 9, and two letters: A (which represents 1012 in one caracter) and B (which represents 1112 in one caracter). Its first ten is twelve in decimal (1210 = 1012), the base is noted in subscript. The decomposition of a duodecimal number (in a positional system) is the same as the one of a decimal number, only the base changes: (238)12 = 2*122 + 3 *121 + 8 *120. If we carry it out, we get the matching decimal number, here 332.

Ayeri numbers meaning

Ayeri number words are mostly semantic primes, that is, their meanings cannot be readily recognized as derived from body parts or from internal arithmetic like 9 as ten lacking one, for instance. The numerals kay kj [3], iri iri [5], and hen hen [8] may be an exception: as a quantifier, kay kj [3] means a little, few; iri iri [5] means already, which might refer to the fact that a full hand has been counted off; and hen hen [8] also means all.

Ayeri numerals

The Ayeri script, named Tahano Hikamu Tahano,Hikamu, which literally means round script, is an alphasyllabary similar to the Devanagari abudiga used in India and Nepal. This script includes numerals from 0 to 9, plus two others for 1012 and 1112. As the Ayeri numeral system is positional, to write the first ten in base-12 (hence 1210, or 1012), we put first the glyph for one (the ten multiplier), then the glyph for zero: 10.

Zero (0
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
0 12
One (1
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
1 12
Two (2
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
2 12
Three (3
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
3 12
Four (4
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
4 12
Five (5
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
5 12
Six (6
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
6 12
Seven (7
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
7 12
Eight (8
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
8 12
Nine (9
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
9 12
Ten (10
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
10 12
Eleven (11
<sub>12</sub>
) in Ayeri
11 12

Ayeri numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

  • The digits from zero to nine, plus A and B are: ja ja [0], men men [1], sam sam [2], kay kj [3], yo yo [4], iri iri [5], miye miye [6], ito ito [7], hen hen [8], veya veya [9], mal mal [A12/1010], and tam tam [B12/1110].
  • Tens are formed adding the suffix -lan lnF to the multiplier digit, with no space: menlan menlnF [1012/1210], samlan samlnF [2012/2410], kaylan kjlnF [3012/3610], yolan yolnF [4012/4810], irilan irilnF [5012/6010], miyelan miyelnF [6012/7210], itolan itolnF [7012/8410], henlan henlnF [8012/9610], veyalan veyalnF [9012/10810], mallan mallnF [A012/12010], and tamlan tamlnF [B012/13210].
  • Compound numbers are formed starting with the duodecimal ten, then the unit digit linked with a hyphen (/) (e.g.: samlan-kay samlnF/kj [2312/2710], mallan-iri mallnF/iri [A512/12510], tamlan-tam tamlnF/tam [BB12/14310]).
  • Duodecimal hundreds are formed starting with the word for hundred (menang menang, formed on men men [1] and the suffix -nang menang), followed by the multiplier, except for one hundred: menang menang [10012/14410], menang sam menang,sam [20012/28810], menang kay menang,kj [30012/4210]… menang mal menang,mal [A0012/1,44010], and menang tam menang,tam [B0012/1,58410].
  • Ayeri groups its higher numbers by duodecimal myriads (10,00012/20,73610). Myriads are formed starting with the unit variable (which starts from 2, not from 1, following the formula 12(x-1)*4 where x is the unit variable), suffixed with -nang nang: samang samang [10412/20,73610], kaynang kjnang [10812/429,981,69610], yonang yonang [101212], irinang irinang [101612]…
  • Myriad multiples are formed starting with the myriad word, then its multipliers separated with spaces (e.g.: samang henlan-myie menang sam veyalan-kay samang,henlnF/myie,menang,sam,veyalnF/kj [86,029312/2,115,47110], literally 10,000 80 6 100 2 90 3).
  • In order to avoid confusion when a myriad group has been skipped, the conjunction nay nay (and) is used. See for instance the difference between samang henlan-myie menang sam veyalan-kay samang,henlnF/myie,menang,sam,veyalnF/kj [186,000012/5,101,05610] (10,000 100 1 80 6) and samang menang men nay henlan-myie samang,menang,men,nay,henlnF/myie [100,008612/2,986,08610] (10,000 100 1 and 80 6).
  • The conjunction nay nay (and) can also be used to avoid two single-digit numerals following each other. See for instance: menang mal ito menang,mal,ito (100 A 7) and menang mal nay ito menang,mal,nay,ito (100 A and 7), both valueing [A0712/1,44710].

Books

A Grammar of Ayeri: Documenting a Fictional Language A Grammar of Ayeri: Documenting a Fictional Language
by , editors Lulu.com (2018)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Other artistic languages

Aczu Śavnecze, Aramteskan, Arodjun, Atlantean, Atrian, Ayeri, Azazilúŝ, Barsoomian, Bayën, Belter Creole, Brooding, Chakobsa, Dai, Dovahzul, D’ni, Elder Speech, Engála, Epigean, Giak, Gnóma, Grayis, Gryomian, Hiuʦɑθ, Hylian, Illitan, Ithkuil, Itláni, Kala, Kēlen, Kiitra, KiLiKi, Láadan, Mini, Mondir, Na’vi, Neziba, Nìmpyèshiu, Santaa, Shiväisith, Siinyamda, Toki Pona, Tpaalha, Trigedasleng, Tüchte, Va Ehenív, Valthungian, Verdurian, Wardwesân, and Wóxtjanato.

Other supported languages

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