Counting in Michif

Language overview

Forty-two in Michif Michif is a mixed language spoken by the Métis nation in Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario) and United States (North Dakota). It combines Cree and Métis French, with some borrowing from English, Ojibwe, and Assiniboine. Michif numerals are based on Métis French, even though digits from one to five have another form based on Cree. Michif counts about 830 speakers.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 100 in Michif. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

Michif numbers list

  • 1 – aeñ
  • 2 – deu
  • 3 – trwá
  • 4 – kátr
  • 5 – saeñk
  • 6 – sis
  • 7 – set
  • 8 – wit
  • 9 – naef
  • 10 – jis
  • 11 – óñz
  • 12 – dóz
  • 13 – trayz
  • 14 – katorz
  • 15 – kaeñz
  • 16 – saeñz
  • 17 – jis set
  • 18 – jis wit
  • 19 – jis naef
  • 20 – vaeñ
  • 30 – tráñt
  • 40 – karánt
  • 50 – saeñkánt
  • 60 – swesáñt
  • 70 – swesáñty jis
  • 80 – katávaeñ
  • 90 – katrávaen jis
  • 100 – sáñ

Michif 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 and numbers from one to sixteen are specific words, namely aeñ (or peyak) [1], deu (or nésho) [2], trwá (or nishto) [3], kátr (or neyo) [4], saeñk (or niyánan) [5], sis [6], set [7], wit [8], naef [9], jis [10], óñz [11], dóz [12], trayz [13], katorz [14], kaeñz [15], saeñz [16]. Seventeen to nineteen are regular numbers, i.e. named after the word for ten followed by the unit separated with a space: jis set [10 7], jis wit [10 8], jis naef [10 9].
  • The tens are specific words too, namely jis [10], vaeñ [20], tráñt [30], karánt [40], saeñkánt [50], swesáñt [60], swesáñty jis [70] (60+10), katávaeñ [80] (4*20), and katrávaen jis [90] (4*20+10).
  • Compound numbers are formed by stating the ten, then the unit separated with a space (e.g.: karánt sis [46], swesáñt naef [69]).
  • One hundred is sáñ.

Write a number in full in Michif

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

Source

Mixed languages

Caló, Llanito, and Michif.

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.