Counting in Timbisha
Language overview
Timbisha (Nümünangkawih, or Panamint) is a Native American language belonging to the Uto-Aztecan language family, and more specifically to the Numic branch. It was spoken by the Native Americans who have inhabited the region in and around Death Valley, California and the southern Owens Valley since late prehistoric times. Nearly extinct, it counts less than twenty speakers.
Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 999 in Timbisha. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.
Timbisha numbers list
- 1 – sümüttün
- 2 – wahattün
- 3 – pahittün
- 4 – wattsüwitün
- 5 – manikitün
- 6 – naapaitün
- 7 – taattsüwitün
- 8 – woosüwitün
- 9 – wanikkitün
- 10 – süümootün
- 11 – süümooyüntü sümüttüm ma to’engkünna
- 12 – süümooyüntü wahattüm ma to’engkünna
- 13 – süümooyüntü pahittüm ma to’engkünna
- 14 – süümooyüntü wattsüwitüm ma to’engkünna
- 15 – süümooyüntü manikitüm ma to’engkünna
- 16 – süümooyüntü naapaitüm ma to’engkünna
- 17 – süümooyüntü taattsüwitüm ma to’engkünna
- 18 – süümooyüntü woosüwitüm ma to’engkünna
- 19 – süümooyüntü wanikkitüm ma to’engkünna
- 20 – wahamoono
- 30 – pahimoono
- 40 – watsümoono
- 50 – manikimoono
- 60 – naapaimoono
- 70 – taattsüwimoono
- 80 – woosüwimoono
- 90 – wanikkimoono
- 100 – sümüseentu naatu
Timbisha 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: sümüttün [1], waha(ttün) [2], pahi(ttün) [3], wattsüwi(tün) [4], maniki(tün) [5], naapai(tün) [6], taattsüwi(tün) [7], woosüwi(tün) [8], and wanikki(tün)/wanükki(tün) [9].
- Tens are formed by suffixing the root of the multiplier digit with -moono: süümootün/süümoono/süümooyüntün [10], wahamoono [20], pahimoono [30], watsümoono [40], manikimoono [50], naapaimoono [60], taattsüwimoono [70], woosüwimoono [80], and wanikkimoono [90].
- Compound numbers are formed by starting with the ten suffixed with -yüntü (optional for numbers between eleven and nineteen), then then unit it its object form, followed with the word ma (with) and to’engkünna (come out with/for): (süümooyüntü) wahattüm ma to’engkünna [12], pahimooyüntü sümüttüm ma to’engkünna [31].
- Hundreds are formed by suffixing the root of the multiplier digit with -seentu, followed with the verb naatu (to be): sümüseentu naatu [100], wahaseentu naatu [200], pahiseentu naatu [300], wattsüwiseentu naatu [400], manikiseentu naatu [500], naapaiseentu naatu [600], taattsüwiseentu naatu [700], woosüwiseentu naatu [800], and wanikkiseentu naatu [900].
Write a number in full in Timbisha
Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Timbisha. 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
Tümpisa (Panamint) Shoshone dictionary
Jon Philip Dayley, editors University of California Press (1989)
Uto-Aztecan languages
Central Tarahumara, Hopi, and Timbisha.
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.