Counting in Illitan

Language overview

The Illitan language has been designed by the British linguist Alison Long, for the BBC’s adaptation of China Miéville’s novel The City and The City broadcast in April 2018. Spoken in the city of Ul Qoma, Illitan is written in the Georgian alphabet, or Mkhedruli.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 10 in Illitan. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

Illitan numbers list

  • 1 – ხაბ (khab)
  • 2 – კვოტ (kvot)
  • 3 – ტროსტ (trost)
  • 4 – ჭედი (fedi)
  • 5 – გლილ (glil)
  • 6 – გრახ (grakh)
  • 7 – მლახ (mlakh)
  • 8 – ჰატოკ (hatok)
  • 9 – დემატ (demat)
  • 10 – დეკატ (dekat)

Illitan 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).

  • Illitan digits from one to nine are: ხაბ (khab) [1], კვოტ (kvot) [2], ტროსტ (trost) [3], ჭედი (fedi) [4], გლილ (glil) [5], გრახ (grakh) [6], მლახ (mlakh) [7], ჰატოკ (hatok) [8], and დემატ (demat) [9].
  • The word for ten is დეკატ (dekat) [10].

Write a number in full in Illitan

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Illitan. 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 City & The City The City & The City
by , editors Del Rey (2009)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

La ciudad y la ciudad La ciudad y la ciudad
by , editors Nova (2018)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

A Cidade e A Cidade A Cidade e A Cidade
by , editors Boitempo (2014)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Articles

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

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.