Counting in Dovahzul

Language overview

Forty-two in Dovahzul The Dovahzul language (aka. Dragon, Draconic, Dragontongue, Dovah, Dovahtinvaak) is a fictional language spoken by dragons and ancient Nords in Bethesda’s videogame The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, taking place in the The Elder Scrolls universe. The language has been extended by its community from its canon version developed by Adam Adamowicz (1968-2012) for Bethesda. It has its own alphabet of 34 runes based on the markings a dragon’s claws might make in stone.

Dovahzul numbers list

  • 1 – gein (g2n)
  • 2 – zein (z2n)
  • 3 – sed (sed)
  • 4 – hir (h7)
  • 5 – hen (hen)
  • 6 – sok (sok)
  • 7 – zos (zos)
  • 8 – eln (eln)
  • 9 – nen (nen)
  • 10 – men (men)
  • 11 – geinahmen (g2n4men)
  • 12 – zeinahmen (z2n4men)
  • 13 – sedahmen (sed4men)
  • 14 – hirahmen (h74men)
  • 15 – henahmen (hen4men)
  • 16 – sokahmen (sok4men)
  • 17 – zosahmen (zos)
  • 18 – elnahmen (eln4men)
  • 19 – nenahmen (nen4men
  • 20 – zein men (z2n men)
  • 30 – sed men (sed men)
  • 40 – hir men (h7 men)
  • 50 – hen men (hen men)
  • 60 – sok men (sok men)
  • 70 – zos men (zos men)
  • 80 – eln men (eln men)
  • 90 – nen men (nen men
  • 100 – ben (ben)
  • 1,000 – ton (ton)
  • one million – unon (unon)
  • one billion – unen (unen)

Dovahzul 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 only canon word for numbers is gein (g2n) [1]. The rest of the Dovahzul numbering system has been devised by the fans community.
  • Digits from zero to nine are specific words: nul (nul) [0], gein (g2n) [1], zein (z2n) [2], sed (sed) [3], hir (h7) [4], hen (hen) [5], sok (sok) [6], zos (zos) [7], eln (eln) [8], and nen (nen) [9].
  • The tens are formed by setting the multiplier before the word for ten (men, men), except for ten itself: men (men) [10], zein men (z2n men) [20], sed men (sed men) [30], hir men (h7 men) [40], hen men (hen men) [50], sok men (sok men) [60], zos men (zos men) [70], eln men (eln men) [80], and nen men (nen men) [90].
  • The compound numbers from eleven to nineteen are formed by stating the unit, the conjunction ahrk (4rk, and) shortened to ah (4) and the word for ten (men, men), with no space: geinahmen (g2n4men) [11], zeinahmen (z2n4men) [12], sedahmen (sed4men) [13], hirahmen (h74men) [14], henahmen (hen4men) [15], sokahmen (sok4men) [16], zosahmen (zos) [17], elnahmen (eln4men) [18], and nenahmen (nen4men) [19].
  • The compound numbers above twenty are formed by stating the unit, the conjunction ahrk (4rk, and) and the ten, separated with spaces (e.g.: gein ahrk sed men (g2n 4rk sed men) [31], hir ahrk eln men (h7 4rk eln men) [84]).
  • The hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (ben, ben) separated with a space, except for one hundred when not compound: ben (ben) [100], zein ben (z2n ben) [200], sed ben (sed ben) [300], hir ben (h7 ben) [400], hen ben (hen ben) [500]…
  • The thousands are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for thousand (ton, ton), separated with a space, except for one thousand when not compound: ton (ton) [1,000], zein ton (z2n ton) [2,000], sed ton (sed ton) [3,000], hir ton (h7 ton) [4,000], hen ton (hen ton) [5,000]…
  • Any compound number above one hundred is formed in the reverse order of the positional system used in English, i.e. the unit is stated first, then the ten, the hundred, the thousand… (e.g.: sok ahrk hir men ahrk zein ben (sok 4rk h7 men 4rk z2n ben) [246] (literaly “6 and 40 and 200”), nen ahrk zos men ahrk eln ben ahrk gein ton (nen 4rk zos men 4rk eln ben 4rk g2n ton) [1,879]).
  • The word for million (106) is unon (unon), and the word for billion (109) is unen (unen).

Books

The Skyrim Library - Volumes I, II & III The Skyrim Library - Volumes I, II & III
by , editors Titan Books (2017)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Prima Collector’s Guide) Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (Prima Collector’s Guide)
by , editors Prima Games (2016)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

The Infernal City The Infernal City
by , editors Del Rey (2009)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com Kindle - Amazon.com]

Source

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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