Counting in Oneida
Language overview
The Oneida language (Onʌyotaʔa·ka) is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Oneida people, living in the U.S. states of New York and Wisconsin, and in the Canadian province of Ontario. Endangered language, Oneida counts about 200 speakers.
Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 1,000 in Oneida. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.
Oneida numbers list
- 1 – úskah
- 2 – téken
- 3 – áhsʌ
- 4 – kayé
- 5 – wisk
- 6 – yá·yahk
- 7 – tsya·ták
- 8 – tékluˀ
- 9 – wá·tlu
- 10 – oye·lí
- 11 – úskah yawʌ·lé
- 12 – tékni yawʌ·lé
- 13 – áhsʌ yawʌ·lé
- 14 – kayé yawʌ·lé
- 15 – wisk yawʌ·lé
- 16 – yá·yahk yawʌ·lé
- 17 – tsya·ták yawʌ·lé
- 18 – tékluˀ yawʌ·lé
- 19 – wá·tlu yawʌ·lé
- 20 – tewáshʌ
- 30 – áhsʌ niwáshʌ
- 40 – kayé niwáshʌ
- 50 – wisk niwáshʌ
- 60 – yá·yahk niwáshʌ
- 70 – tsya·ták niwáshʌ
- 80 – tékluˀ niwáshʌ
- 90 – wá·tlu niwáshʌ
- 100 – tewʌˀnyáwelu
- 1,000 – skanutó·tslat
Oneida 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).
- Numbers from one to nine are specific words, namely úskah [1], téken / tékni [2], áhsʌ [3], kayé [4], wisk [5], yá·yahk [6], tsya·ták [7], tékluˀ [8], and wá·tlu [9].
- Tens are formed by putting the multiplier digit before the word for tens or decades (niwáshʌ), except for ten itself and for twenty (for which it is contracted): oye·lí [10], tewáshʌ [20], áhsʌ niwáshʌ [30], kayé niwáshʌ [40], wisk niwáshʌ [50], yá·yahk niwáshʌ [60], tsya·ták niwáshʌ [70], tékluˀ niwáshʌ [80], and wá·tlu niwáshʌ [90].
- The teens are formed by putting the word yawʌ·lé after the unit name (e.g.: úskah yawʌ·lé [11], kayé yawʌ·lé [14]). In the other compound numerals, the ten is put first, then the digit (e.g.: tewáshʌ wisk [25], wisk niwáshʌ tékluˀ [58]).
- Hundreds are constructed by saying the multiplier unit, then the word for hundred (tewʌˀnyáwelu), except for one hundred itself: tewʌˀnyáwelu [100], téken tewʌˀnyáwelu [200], áhsʌ tewʌˀnyáwelu [300], kayé tewʌˀnyáwelu [400], wisk tewʌˀnyáwelu [500], yá·yahk tewʌˀnyáwelu [600], tsya·ták tewʌˀnyáwelu [700], tékluˀ tewʌˀnyáwelu [800], and wá·tlu tewʌˀnyáwelu [900].
- In compound numerals, the hundred and the ten, and the hundred and the unit are linked together by the word ok, meaning on (e.g.: tewʌˀnyáwelu ok tékni yawʌ·lé [112], tsya·ták tewʌˀnyáwelu ok wisk [705]).
- One thousand is skanutó·tslat, which means one box.
Write a number in full in Oneida
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Oneida. 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 Oneida Creation Story
by Demus Elm, Harvey Antone, editors Bison Books (2000)
[
Amazon.com]
Oneida Indian Journey: From New York to Wisconsin, 1784-1860
editors University of Wisconsin Press (1999)
[ Amazon.com]
The Oneida Indian Experience: Two Perspectives
editors Syracuse University Press (1988)
[ Amazon.com]
Links
Iroquoian languages
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.