Counting in Lushootseed

Language overview

Forty-two in Lushootseed The Lushootseed language (dxʷləšúcid), also known as Skagit-Nisqually or Puget Sound Salish, is a native american language that belongs to the Salishan languages family, and more specifically to the Coast Salish languages. It was spoken by many people in the Puget Sound region of British Columbia, Canada, including the Duwamish, Steilacoom, Suquamish, Squaxin Island Tribe, Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Nisqually, and Puyallup in the south and the Snohomish, Stillaguamish, Skagit, and Swinomish in the north. The Lushootseed language is getting revitalized, especially by the Puyallup Tribe.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 9,999 in Lushootseed. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

Lushootseed numbers list

  • 1 – dəč’uʔ
  • 2 – saliʔ
  • 3 – łixʷ
  • 4 – buus
  • 5 – cəlac
  • 6 – dᶻəlačiʔ
  • 7 – c’ukʷs
  • 8 – təqačiʔ
  • 9 – x̌ʷəl
  • 10 – padac
  • 11 – padac yəxʷ kʷi dəč’uʔ
  • 12 – padac yəxʷ kʷi saliʔ
  • 13 – padac yəxʷ kʷi łixʷ
  • 14 – padac yəxʷ kʷi buus
  • 15 – padac yəxʷ kʷi cəlac
  • 16 – padac yəxʷ kʷi dᶻəlačiʔ
  • 17 – padac yəxʷ kʷi c’ukʷs
  • 18 – padac yəxʷ kʷi təqačiʔ
  • 19 – padac yəxʷ kʷi x̌ʷəl
  • 20 – saliʔačiʔ
  • 30 – słixʷačiʔ
  • 40 – sbuusačiʔ
  • 50 – cəlacačiʔ
  • 60 – dᶻəlačiʔačiʔ
  • 70 – c’ukʷsačiʔ
  • 80 – təqačiʔačiʔ
  • 90 – x̌ʷəlačiʔ
  • 100 – dəč’uʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ
  • 1,000 – padac sbək’ʷačiʔ

Lushootseed 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: p’aƛ’ [0], dəč’uʔ [1], saliʔ [2], łixʷ [3], buus [4], cəlac [5], dᶻəlačiʔ [6], c’ukʷs [7], təqačiʔ [8], and x̌ʷəl [9].
  • Tens are formed by suffixing the multiplier digit with the word ačiʔ, meaning hand, except for ten: padac [10], saliʔačiʔ [20], słixʷačiʔ [30], sbuusačiʔ [40], cəlacačiʔ [50], dᶻəlačiʔačiʔ [60], c’ukʷsačiʔ [70], təqačiʔačiʔ [80], and x̌ʷəlačiʔ [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by stating the ten, then the words yəxʷ kʷi, and the unit (e.g.: padac yəxʷ kʷi saliʔ [12], cəlacačiʔ yəxʷ kʷi c’ukʷs [57], təqačiʔačiʔ yəxʷ kʷi x̌ʷəl [89]).
  • Hundreds are formed starting with the multiplier digit, followed by the word for hundred (sbək’ʷačiʔ), separated with a space: dəč’uʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [100], saliʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [200], łixʷ sbək’ʷačiʔ [300], buus sbək’ʷačiʔ [400], cəlac sbək’ʷačiʔ [500], dᶻəlačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [600], c’ukʷs sbək’ʷačiʔ [700], təqačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [800], and x̌ʷəl sbək’ʷačiʔ [900].
  • Thousands are formed starting with the multiplier ten, followed by the word for hundred (sbək’ʷačiʔ), separated with a space. A thousand is thus a ten of a hundred: padac sbək’ʷačiʔ [1,000] (10*100), saliʔačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [2,000] (20*100), słixʷačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [3,000], sbuusačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [4,000], cəlacačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [5,000], dᶻəlačiʔačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [6,000], c’ukʷsačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [7,000], təqačiʔačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [8,000], and x̌ʷəlačiʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ [9,000].

Write a number in full in Lushootseed

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

Tellings from Our Elders: Lushootseed syeyehub: Tales from the Skagit Valley Tellings from Our Elders: Lushootseed syeyehub: Tales from the Skagit Valley
by , editors UBC Press (2015)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Tellings from Our Elders: Lushootseed syeyehub: Snohomish Texts Tellings from Our Elders: Lushootseed syeyehub: Snohomish Texts
by , editors UBC Press (2014)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Lushootseed Dictionary Lushootseed Dictionary
by , editors University of Washington Press (1994)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Salishan languages

Comox, Halkomelem, Klallam, Lushootseed, Moses-Columbia, Okanagan, Saanich, Shuswap, and Squamish.

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.