Counting in Dogrib
Language overview
Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) is a Northern Athabaskan language from the Na-Dené language family. Spoken by the Tłı̨chǫ people, or Dogrib people, of the Canadian Northwest Territories, it counts about 1,700 speakers.
Dogrib numbers list
- 1 – ı̨łè
- 2 – nàke
- 3 – taı
- 4 – dı̨
- 5 – sı̨làı
- 6 – ek’ètaı
- 7 – łǫ̀hdı̨
- 8 – ek’èdı̨
- 9 – łǫǫ̀tǫ
- 10 – hoònǫ
- 11 – hoònǫ daatsʼq ı̨łè
- 12 – hoònǫ daatsʼq nàke
- 13 – hoònǫ daatsʼq taı
- 14 – hoònǫ daatsʼq dı̨
- 15 – hoònǫ daatsʼq sı̨làı
- 16 – hoònǫ daatsʼq ek’ètaı
- 17 – hoònǫ daatsʼq łǫ̀hdı̨
- 18 – hoònǫ daatsʼq ek’èdı̨
- 19 – hoònǫ daatsʼq łǫǫ̀tǫ
- 20 – naènǫ
- 30 – taènǫ
- 40 – dı̨ènǫ
- 50 – sı̨làènǫ
- 60 – ek’ètaènǫ
- 70 – łǫ̀hdı̨ènǫ
- 80 – ek’èdı̨ènǫ
- 90 – łǫǫ̀tǫ
- 100 – ı̨łèlakw’eènǫ
- 1,000 – ı̨łè lemı̀
- one million – ı̨łè lemı̀yǫǫ̀
Dogrib 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).
- Digits from zero to nine are rendered by specific words, namely ets’aèhmǫ̀ą [0], ı̨łè [1], nàke [2], taı [3], dı̨ [4], sı̨làı [5], ek’ètaı [6], łǫ̀hdı̨ [7], ek’èdı̨ [8], and łǫǫ̀tǫ [9].
- Tens are formed suffixing the multiplier digit root with ènǫ, except for ten: hoònǫ [10], naènǫ [20], taènǫ [30], dı̨ènǫ [40], sı̨làènǫ [50], ek’ètaènǫ [60], łǫ̀hdı̨ènǫ [70], ek’èdı̨ènǫ [80], and łǫǫ̀tǫ [90].
- Compounds numbers are formed starting with the ten, then the conjunction daatsʼq̨̀, and the digit (e.g.: hoònǫ daatsʼq sı̨làı [15], ek’èdı̨ènǫ daatsʼq taı [83]).
- One hundred is ı̨łèlakw’eènǫ [100].
- Thousands are formed starting with the multiplier digit, followed by the word for thousand (lemı̀), separated with a space: ı̨łè lemı̀ [1,000], nàke lemı̀ [2,000], taı lemı̀ [3,000], dı̨ lemı̀ [4,000], sı̨làı lemı̀ [5,000], ek’ètaı lemı̀ [6,000], łǫ̀hdı̨ lemı̀ [7,000], ek’èdı̨ lemı̀ [8,000], and łǫǫ̀tǫ lemı̀ [9,000].
- The word for million is lemı̀yǫǫ̀ or lemı̀ızhǫǫ̀. Millions are regularly formed like thousands: ı̨łè lemı̀yǫǫ̀ [1 million], nàke lemı̀yǫǫ̀ [2 millions]…
Write a number in full in Dogrib
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Dogrib. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.
Books
The Dogrib dictionary
by Les Barow, editors CreateSpace (2017)
[ Amazon.com]
Walking the Land, Feeding the Fire: Knowledge and Stewardship Among the Tłı̨chǫ Dene
by Allice Legat, editors University of Arizona Press (2012)
[ Amazon.com]
The Legend of the Caribou Boy / Ekwò Dǫzhìa Wegondı
by George Blondin, editors Theytus Books (2009)
[ Amazon.com]
The Old Man with the Otter Medicine / Eneèko Nàmbe Įk’ǫǫ K’eèzhǫ
by George Blondin, editors Theytus Books (2008)
[ Amazon.com]
Source
Athapaskan languages
Carrier, Dogrib, Hupa, Navajo, Siletz dee-ni, Tlingit, and Tolowa.
Other supported languages
As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.