Counting in Lakota

Language overview

Forty-two in Lakota Lakota (Lakȟótiyapi), also known as Lakhota or Teton (Sioux) is a Sioux language of the Siouan languages family. Spoken by the Lakota people of the Sioux tribes in South Dakota, United States, it counts about 2,000 speakers.

Lakota numbers list

  • 1 – waŋží
  • 2 – núŋpa
  • 3 – yámni
  • 4 – tópa
  • 5 – záptaŋ
  • 6 – šákpe
  • 7 – šakówiŋ
  • 8 – šaglógaŋ
  • 9 – napčíyuŋka
  • 10 – wikčémna
  • 11 – akéwaŋži
  • 12 – akénuŋpa
  • 13 – akéyamni
  • 14 – akétopa
  • 15 – akézaptaŋ
  • 16 – akéšakpe
  • 17 – akéšakowiŋ
  • 18 – akéšaglogaŋ
  • 19 – akénapčiyuŋka
  • 20 – wikčémna núŋpa
  • 30 – wikčémna yámni
  • 40 – wikčémna tópa
  • 50 – wikčémna záptaŋ
  • 60 – wikčémna šákpe
  • 70 – wikčémna šakówiŋ
  • 80 – wikčémna šaglógaŋ
  • 90 – wikčémna napčíyuŋka
  • 100 – opáwiŋǧe
  • 1,000 – khektópawiŋǧe
  • one million – kȟoktášiča

Lakota 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 specific words: tákuni [0], waŋží [1], núŋpa [2], yámni [3], tópa [4], záptaŋ [5], šákpe [6], šakówiŋ [7], šaglógaŋ [8], and napčíyuŋka [9].
  • The tens are formed by stating the word for ten (wikčémna) followed by its multiplier digit, except for ten itself: wikčémna [10], wikčémna núŋpa [20], wikčémna yámni [30], wikčémna tópa [40], wikčémna záptaŋ [50], wikčémna šákpe [60], wikčémna šakówiŋ [70], wikčémna šaglógaŋ [80], and wikčémna napčíyuŋka [90].
  • Teens from eleven to nineteen are formed prefixing the unit with aké (from akhé, meaning again, another one). It should be noted that the stressed vowel from the unit number falls: akéwaŋži [11], akénuŋpa [12], akéyamni [13], akétopa [14], akézaptaŋ [15], akéšakpe [16], akéšakowiŋ [17], akéšaglogaŋ [18], and akénapčiyuŋka [19].
  • Compound numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine are formed by stating the ten, then the word aké (from akhé, meaning again, another one), and the unit (e.g.: wikčémna núŋpa aké napčíyuŋka [29], ikčémna šákpe aké záptaŋ [65]).
  • The hundreds are formed starting with the word for hundred (opáwiŋǧe), then the multiplier digit, except for one hundred: opáwiŋǧe [100], opáwiŋǧe núŋpa [200], opáwiŋǧe yámni [300], opáwiŋǧe tópa [400], opáwiŋǧe záptaŋ [500], opáwiŋǧe šákpe [600], opáwiŋǧe šakówiŋ [700], opáwiŋǧe šaglógaŋ [800], and opáwiŋǧe napčíyuŋka [900].
  • When hundreds are compound with a ten or a unit, they are linked with the word sáŋm, which means more, beyond, over (e.g.: opáwiŋǧe sáŋm tópa [104], opáwiŋǧe sáŋm wikčémna núŋpa aké záptaŋ [125]).
  • The thousands are formed by stating the word for thousand (kȟoktá) before the multiplier digit, except for one thousand when not compound: khektópawiŋǧe [1,000], kȟoktá núŋpa [2,000], kȟoktá yámni [3,000], kȟoktá tópa [4,000], kȟoktá záptaŋ [5,000], kȟoktá šákpe [6,000], kȟoktá šakówiŋ [7,000], kȟoktá šaglógaŋ [8,000], and kȟoktá napčíyuŋka [9,000]. When compound, one thousand is kȟoktá (e.g.: kȟoktá sáŋm tópa [1,004], kȟoktá sáŋm akéyamni [1,013]).
  • The word for million is kȟoktášiča [1 million].

Write a number in full in Lakota

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Lakota. 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

Lakota Language Workbook/CD Lakota Language Workbook/CD
by , editors Oceti Wakan (2005)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Lakhotiya Woglaka Po! - Speak Lakota! Level 1 Lakota Language Textbook Lakhotiya Woglaka Po! - Speak Lakota! Level 1 Lakota Language Textbook
editors Lakota Language Consortium (2004)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Reading and Writing the Lakota Language Reading and Writing the Lakota Language
by , editors University of Utah Press (1999)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

J’apprends le sioux-lakota J’apprends le sioux-lakota
by , editors CreateSpace (2012)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Siouan languages

Assiniboine, and Lakota.

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.