Counting in Saanich

Language overview

Forty-two in Saanich The Saanich language (Sənčaθən or SENĆOŦEN), is a native american language that belongs to the Salishan languages family, and more specifically to the North Straits Salish continuum. Spoken by the Saanich people from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington (USA), the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, Canada, it is nearly extinct with about 20 speakers.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 1,000 in Saanich. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

Saanich numbers list

  • 1 – nət̕θəʔ
  • 2 – čəsəʔ
  • 3 – ɬixʷ
  • 4 – ŋas
  • 5 – ɬq̕ečəs
  • 6 – t̕x̣əŋ
  • 7 – t̕θaʔkʷəs
  • 8 – teʔθəs
  • 9 – təkʷəxʷ
  • 10 – ʔapən
  • 11 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs nət̕θəʔ
  • 12 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs čəsəʔ
  • 13 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs ɬixʷ
  • 14 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs ŋas
  • 15 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs ɬq̕ečəs
  • 16 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs t̕x̣əŋ
  • 17 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs t̕θaʔkʷəs
  • 18 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs teʔθəs
  • 19 – ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs təkʷəxʷ
  • 20 – t̕θaxʷkʷəs
  • 30 – ɬəxʷɬšeʔ
  • 40 – ŋəsɬšeʔ
  • 50 – ɬq̕əčsɬšeʔ
  • 60 – t̕x̣əməɬšeʔ
  • 70 – t̕θəʔkʷsɬšeʔ
  • 80 – štəmaʔəs
  • 90 – təkʷxʷəɬšeʔ
  • 100 – sneč̕əw̕əč
  • 1,000 – ʔapən sneč̕əw̕əč

Saanich 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: nət̕θəʔ [1], čəsəʔ [2], ɬixʷ [3], ŋas [4], ɬq̕ečəs [5], t̕x̣əŋ [6], t̕θaʔkʷəs [7], teʔθəs [8], and təkʷəxʷ [9].
  • The tens are formed by suffixing the root of the multiplier digit with ɬšeʔ, except for ten and twenty: ʔapən [10], t̕θaxʷkʷəs [20], ɬəxʷɬšeʔ [30], ŋəsɬšeʔ [40], ɬq̕əčsɬšeʔ [50], t̕x̣əməɬšeʔ [60], t̕θəʔkʷsɬšeʔ [70], štəmaʔəs [80], and təkʷxʷəɬšeʔ [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by stating the ten, then the expression ʔiʔ kʷs and the unit digit (e.g.: ʔapən ʔiʔ kʷs nət̕θəʔ [11], t̕x̣əməɬšeʔ ʔiʔ kʷs teʔθəs [68]).
  • The hundreds are formed by stating the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (sneč̕əw̕əč), except for one hundred itself: sneč̕əw̕əč [100], čəsəʔ sneč̕əw̕əč [200], ɬixʷ sneč̕əw̕əč [300], ŋas sneč̕əw̕əč [400]… The compound hundreds are formed by stating the hundred, the ten and the unit, each group linked to the others with the expression ʔiʔ kʷs (e.g.: sneč̕əw̕əč ʔiʔ kʷs təkʷəxʷ [109], čəsəʔ sneč̕əw̕əč ʔiʔ kʷs ɬəxʷɬšeʔ ʔiʔ kʷs t̕θaʔkʷəs [237]).
  • One thousand is ʔapən sneč̕əw̕əč, or ten times one hundred.

Write a number in full in Saanich

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

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.