Counting in Sona

Language overview

Forty-two in Sona The Sona language is an international auxiliary language created by Kenneth Searight in 1935. It has been created as a practical and universal language, which is to say not as eurocentric as the other auxiliary languages of that time.

Sona numbers list

  • 1 – enna
  • 2 – do
  • 3 – tin
  • 4 – ca
  • 5 – pen
  • 6 – xi
  • 7 – zun
  • 8 – atu
  • 9 – nun
  • 10 – dici
  • 11 – ennadici
  • 12 – dodici
  • 13 – tindici
  • 14 – cadici
  • 15 – pendici
  • 16 – xidici
  • 17 – zundici
  • 18 – atudici
  • 19 – nundici
  • 20 – doyedi
  • 30 – tinyedi
  • 40 – cayedi
  • 50 – penyedi
  • 60 – xyedi
  • 70 – zunyedi
  • 80 – atuyedi
  • 90 – nunyedi
  • 100 – son
  • 1,000 – tan
  • one million – tanta
  • one billion – dotanta

Sona 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 zero to nine are rendered by specific words: naci [0], enna [1], do [2], tin [3], ca [4], pen [5], xi [6], zun [7], atu [8], and nun [9].
  • The tens are formed by suffixing the multiplier digit with a derived form of the word for ten (edi, from dici), except for ten itself: dici [10], doyedi [20], tinyedi [30], cayedi [40], penyedi [50], xyedi [60], zunyedi [70], atuyedi [80], and nunyedi [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by juxtaposing the ten and the unit with no space (e.g.: ennadici [11], doyedixi [26]).
  • The hundreds are formed by prefixing the word for hundred (son) with the multiplier digit, except for one hundred itself: son [100], doson [200], tinson [300], cason [400], penson [500], xison [600], zunson [700], atuson [800], and nunson [900].
  • The thousands are formed by setting the multiplier digit or number before the word for thousand (tan) with no space, except for one thousand itself: tan [1,000], dotan [2,000], tintan [3,000], catan [4,000], pentan [5,000]… dicitan [10,000]… sontan [100,000]…
  • The word for million (106) is tanta, and the word for billion (109) is dotanta.

Write a number in full in Sona

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

Source

  • Sona: an auxiliary neutral language, by Kenneth Searight (1935)

Auxiliary languages

Afrihili, Ba kom, Babm, Bolak, Ceqli, Digisk Folkspraak, Esperanto, Folkspraak, Globasa, Glosa, Guosa, Idiom neutral, Ido, Intal, Interlingua, Interlingue, Interslavic, Kotava, Langue nouvelle, Latino sine flexione, Lingua Franca Nova, Lingwa de planeta, Mondial, Mondlango, Nove Latina, Pandunia, Panglobish, Ro, Romanid, Slovio, Solresol, Sona, Spokil, Tutonish, Universalglot, Uropi, and Volapük.

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.