Counting in Shuswap

Language overview

Forty-two in Shuswap The Shuswap language (Secwepemctsín) belongs to the Shalishan language family, and more precisely to its Interior Salish branch. It is spoken by the Shuswap people, or Secwépemc, mainly in the Central and Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains. Shuswap counts about 200 native speakers.

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

Shuswap numbers list

  • 1 – úpeket te sxetspqíqenksts
  • 2 – seséle
  • 3 – kellés
  • 4 – mus
  • 5 – tsilkst
  • 6 – teq̓mékst
  • 7 – tsútsllke7
  • 8 – nek̓7ú7ps
  • 9 – temllenkúk̓we7
  • 10 – úpekst
  • 11 – úpekst ell nek̓ú7
  • 12 – úpekst ell seséle
  • 13 – úpekst ell kellés
  • 14 – úpekst ell mus
  • 15 – úpekst ell tsilkst
  • 16 – úpekst ell teq̓mékst
  • 17 – úpekst ell tsútsllke7
  • 18 – úpekst ell nek̓7ú7ps
  • 19 – úpekst ell temllenkúk̓we7
  • 20 – sell7úpekst
  • 30 – kell7úpekst
  • 40 – mell7úpekst
  • 50 – tselkll7úpekst
  • 60 – teq̓mekll7úpekst
  • 70 – tsetskell7úpekst
  • 80 – nek̓u7pll7úpekst
  • 90 – temllenk̓well7úpekst
  • 100 – xetspqíqenkst

Shuswap 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 rendered by specific words, namely nek̓ú7 [1], seséle [2], kellés [3], mus [4], tsilkst [5], teq̓mékst [6], tsútsllke7 [7], nek̓7ú7ps [8], and temllenkúk̓we7 [9].
  • Tens are formed starting with the multiplier digit root, followed by the word for ten (úpekst) with no space, except for ten itself: úpekst [10], sell7úpekst [20], kell7úpekst [30], mell7úpekst [40], tselkll7úpekst [50], teq̓mekll7úpekst [60], tsetskell7úpekst [70], nek̓u7pll7úpekst [80], and temllenk̓well7úpekst [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, then the word ell, and the unit (e.g.: kell7úpekst ell nek̓7ú7ps [38], tselkll7úpekst ell kellés [53]).
  • Hundreds are formed starting with the multiplier digit, then the word te, and the word for hundred (xetspqíqenkst) prefixed with the letter s, except for one hundred: xetspqíqenkst [100], seséle te sxetspqíqenkst [200], kellés te sxetspqíqenkst [300], mus te sxetspqíqenkst [400], tsilkst te sxetspqíqenkst [500], teq̓mékst te sxetspqíqenkst [600], tsútsllke7 te sxetspqíqenkst [700], nek̓7ú7ps te sxetspqíqenkst [800], and temllenkúk̓we7 te sxetspqíqenkst [900].
  • One thousand is úpeket te sxetspqíqenksts [1,000], or ten hundreds.

Write a number in full in Shuswap

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