Counting in Nume
Language overview
The Nume, or Tarasag, language is a Southern Oceanic language of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. Spoken in the north-east of the island Gaua, within the Banks islands in Vanuatu, it counts about 900 speakers.
Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 999 in Nume. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.
Nume numbers list
- 1 – tuwal
- 2 – i-ru
- 3 – i-tol
- 4 – i-βet
- 5 – tiβi-lim
- 6 – leβe-te
- 7 – leβe-ru
- 8 – leβe-tol
- 9 – leβe-βet
- 10 – sanuβul tuwal
- 11 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win tuwal
- 12 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-ru
- 13 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-tol
- 14 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-βet
- 15 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win tiβi-lim
- 16 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-leβe-te
- 17 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-leβe-ru
- 18 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-leβe-tol
- 19 – sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-leβe-βet
- 20 – sanuβul ru
- 30 – sanuβul tol
- 40 – sanuβul βet
- 50 – sanuβul tiβi-lim
- 60 – sanuβul leβe-te
- 70 – sanuβul leβe-ru
- 80 – sanuβul leβe-tol
- 90 – sanuβul leβe-βet
- 100 – muweldul
- 1,000 – ter
Nume 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 one to nine are specific words: tuwal [1], i-ru [2], i-tol [3], i-βet [4], tiβi-lim [5], leβe-te [6], leβe-ru [7], leβe-tol [8], and leβe-βet [9].
- Tens are formed by setting the multiplier unit after the word for ten (sanuβul): sanuβul tuwal (or only sanuβul) [10], sanuβul ru [20], sanuβul tol [30], sanuβul βet [40], sanuβul tiβi-lim [50], sanuβul leβe-te [60], sanuβul leβe-ru [70], sanuβul leβe-tol [80], and sanuβul leβe-βet [90].
- Compound numbers are formed by linking the ten and the unit digit with the words ndi win, separated with spaces (e.g.: sanuβul tuwal ndi win ti-ru [12], sanuβul leβe-te ndi win leβe-tol [68]). The compound unit starts with the ti- syllable: i-βet [4] becomes ti-βet, leβe-te [6], ti-leβe-te.
- Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier unit after the word for hundred (muweldul), except for one hundred itself: muweldul [100], muweldul ru [200], muweldul tol [300], muweldul βet [400], muweldul tiβi-lim [500], muweldul leβe-te [600], muweldul leβe-ru [700], muweldul leβe-tol [800], and muweldul leβe-βet [900].
- Compound hundreds are formed by stating the hundred, then the ten and the unit (e.g.: muweldul i-βet sanuβul ru ndi win i-tol [423], muweldul tiβi-lim sanuβul leβe-te ndi win i-ru [562]).
- Thousands are formed by setting the multiplier unit after the word for thousand (ter), except for one thousand itself: ter [1,000], ter ru [2,000], ter tol [3,000], ter βet [4,000], ter tiβi-lim [5,000], ter leβe-te [6,000], ter leβe-ru [7,000], ter leβe-tol [8,000], and ter leβe-βet [9,000].
Write a number in full in Nume
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Nume. 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.
Links
- Voyage à travers des îles et des nombres, Christian Soulard (.pdf, in French)
Central Malayo-Polynesian languages
Gilbertese, Nume, South Efate, and Tukudede.
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.