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Counting in Tsolyáni

Language overview

Forty-two in Tsolyáni Tsolyáni is the language of the Tsolyánu empire in the fictional universe Tékumel developped by the linguist Muhammad Abd-el-Rahman Barker in the late 40s and published in 1978. First constructed language ever published as part of a role-playing game, the Empire of the Petal Throne, it draws its inspiration from Urdu, Pashto, Mayan and Nahuatl. Tsolyáni is written in the Engsvanyáli script, a cursive script similar to Arabic, where the consonants have four different forms (isolate, initial, medial, and final).

Tsolyáni numbers list

  • 1 – prún
  • 2 – gán
  • 3 – bín
  • 4 – mrín
  • 5 – tlón
  • 6 – gabín
  • 7 – hrún
  • 8 – gámin
  • 9 – prútlen
  • 10 – tlén
  • 11 – prùtlén
  • 12 – gátlén
  • 13 – bítlén
  • 14 – mrítlén
  • 15 – tlótlén
  • 16 – gabìtlén
  • 17 – hrútlén
  • 18 – gámitlén
  • 19 – prútletlén
  • 20 – sémrun
  • 30 – bílun
  • 40 – símin
  • 50 – halón
  • 60 – latsán
  • 70 – hrunálin
  • 80 – gamálin
  • 90 – prutlenílin
  • 100 – mriktán
  • 1,000 – tauknélin
  • ten thousand – tsólotlin
  • one million – yürdǘnin

Tsolyáni numerals

The Tsolyáni digits from zero to nine in the Engsvanyáli script are depicted here.

0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9

Tsolyáni 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).

  • Tsolyáni numbers are made of a root, to which we add a suffix. There are noble and ignoble suffixes (respectively koi and kh), a suffix designating a whole (kh: gabí-kh, “all six”), another for plural numbers (yal: gabíyal, “six (of a bigger group)”). Adjectives are marked by the suffix n if the root ends with a vocal, and in if it ends with a consonant. They are used for abstract counting.
  • Digits roots from zero to nine are sǘdh [0], prú [1], gá [2], bí [3], mrí [4], tló [5], gabí [6], hrú [7], gámi [8], and prútle [9]. From them, we can form the digits from zero to nine: sǘdhin [0], prún [1], gán [2], bín [3], mrín [4], tlón [5], gabín [6], hrún [7], gámin [8], and prútlen [9].
  • Tens roots sometimes include the root of the multiplier digit: tlé [10], sémru [20], bílu [30], sím [40], haló [50], latsá [60], hrunál [70], gamál [80], and prutleníl [90]. From these roots, we can form the following tens: tlén [10], sémrun [20], bílun [30], símin [40], halón [50], latsán [60], hrunálin [70], gamálin [80], and prutlenílin [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed starting with the unit root, directly followed by the ten with no space with its adjective suffix (e.g.: gabìbílun [36], gámihalón [58]).
  • Hundreds are formed prefixing the root for hundred (mriktá) by the multiplier root, except for one hundred, and suffixing it with the adjective suffix (i)n: mriktán [100], gámriktán [200], bímriktán [300], mrìmriktán [400], tlómriktán [500], gabímriktán [600], hrúmriktán [700], gámimriktán [800], and prútlemriktán [900].
  • Compound hundreds are formed starting with the unit, the ten, or the compound ten, then the hundred separated with a space, each group bearing the adjective suffix (i)n (e.g.: tlón gámriktán [205], gabìbílun mrìmriktán [436] (36 400)).
  • Thousands are formed prefixing the root for thousand (tauknél) by the multiplier root, except for one thousand, and suffixing it with the adjective suffix (i)n: tauknélin [1,000], gátauknélin [2,000], bítauknélin [3,000], mrìtauknélin [4,000], tlótauknélin [5,000], gabítauknélin [6,000], hrútauknélin [7,000], gámitauknélin [8,000], and prútletauknélin [9,000].
  • Big compound numbers are formed starting with the unit, the ten, or the compound ten, then the hundred separated with a space, then the thousand separated with a space, and so on with each scale number, each group bearing the adjective suffix (i)n (e.g.: gabìbílun mrìmriktán gabìtauknélin [6,436] (36 400 6,000)).
  • The Tsolyáni language has a root for ten thousand: tsólotl. Ten thousands are formed following the same pattern as hundreds and thousands: tsólotlin [10,000], gátsólotlin [20,000], bítsólotlin [30,000]…
  • The root for million is yürdǘn, on which we can form yürdǘnin [1 million], gáyürdǘnin [2 millions], bíyürdǘnin [3 millions]…

Books

Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne
by , editors Guardians of Order (2003)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

The Tsolyáni language The Tsolyáni language
by , editors Barker (1978)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Articles

M.A.R. Barker biography M.A.R. Barker biography

In his professional career, M.A.R. Barker taught the Urdu and Balochi languages. He also developped the fantasy/science fiction world of Tékumel, mostly in the roleplaying game Empire of the Petal Throne, for which he invented many languages, including Tsolyáni, Yan Koryáni, Livyáni, Engsvanyáli, and Sunúz, and to a lesser extent Mu’ugalavyáni, Salarvyáni, Classical Tsolyáni, Bednálljan, Llyáni, and Thu’úsa.

Tékumel languages

Engsvanyáli, Livyáni, Sunúz, Tsolyáni, and Yán Koryáni.

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.