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A Grammar of Vabungula
| Part 6 - Numbers |
Two Numbering Systems
Vabungula has two numbering systems: a native Vabungula system, and a borrowed system. While both systems are in use, the borrowed system has largely supplanted the native system. The borrowed system comes from a language called Lorêm. Vabungula words that have number roots nearly always use the native system, very rarely the borrowed Lorêm system. Note that the use of the native "ono" (1) is often preferred to the Lorêm equivalent "sêna", especially when used colloquially, or when enumerating nouns. (This also often applies to the native "dono" (2) and its Lorêm equivalent "bêlê").
The Native System
The native Vabungula numbering system, although simple, is rather crude and cumbersome. Although it has words for "hundred" and "thousand", its use is mainly restricted to relatively small numbers. Native Vabungula numbers are also used in building roots.
hono eight
horota spider
dono two
donûn half
slono seven
slorêmlar week
The native Vabungula numbers from 1 through 10 are as follows:
ono one
dono two
tono three
kono four
kwono five
sono six
slono seven
hono eight
nono nine
drono ten
Numbers between 10 and 100 are formed by combining the word for ten (drono) as follows:
dronoiono eleven ("ten and one")
dronoidono twelve ("ten and two")
dronoitono thirteen ("ten and three")
donodrono twenty ("two ten")
donodronoiono twenty-one ("two ten and one")
tonodrono thirty ("three ten")
nonodronoinono ninety-nine ("nine ten and nine")
Hundred is derono and thousand is dorono. Numbers above one hundred are formed similarly.
deronoiono
101
deronoidonodronoiono
121 ("hundred and two ten and one")
donoderono
200
donoderonoitonodronoislono
237 ("two hundred and three ten and seven")
konodoronoitonoderonoidonodronoikwono
4325 ("four thousand and three hundred and two ten and five")
The Lorêm System
The borrowed Lorêm system is capable of expressing numbers much larger than the native Vabungula system, and in a much more succinct and pleasing manner. All numbers are formed by combining the basic root numbers:
sêna 1 (one)
bêlê 2 (two)
ana 3 (three)
bana 4 (four)
kolo 5 (five)
olo 6 (six)
sali 7 (seven)
asi 8 (eight)
deka 9 (nine)
resa 10 (ten)
uza 100 (hundred)
ina 1000 (thousand)
ova 1000000 (million)
ela 1000000000 (billion; British: milliard)
All other numbers are formed by combining the basic root numbers. Note that all Lorêm numbers are formed by alternating vowels and consonants; there are no consonant or vowel clusters. All resulting compound numbers are also formed as alternating vowels and consonants. This is done by dropping final consonants on roots when the following syllable begins with a consonant.
The numbers 11-19 are formed by prefixing an abbreviation for "ten", re or res, to the numbers 1 through 9:
resêna 11
rebêlê 12
resana 13
rebana 14
rekolo 15
resolo 16
resali 17
resasi 18
redeka 19
Multiples of ten, from twenty through ninety, are formed by prefixing abbreviations for the numbers 1 through 9 onto res, an abbreviation for 10:
bêres 20
ares 30
bares 40
kores 50
ores 60
sares 70
ases 80
deres 90
Numbers from 21 through 99 are formed by dropping the final "s" of the multiple of ten and suffixing the first syllable (consonant-vowel-consonant) of the one's digit, or, if the one's digit begins with a vowel, retaining the final "s" of the multiple of ten, and suffixing the first syllable (vowel-consonant) of the one's digit.
bêresên 21
bêrebêl 22
bêresan 23
bêreban 24
bêrekol 25
bêresol 26
bêresal 27
bêresas 28
bêredek 29
aresên 31
aresan 33
korekol 55
koresas 58
sareban 74
asesên 81
asesal 87
asesas 88
deredek 99
Numbers above 99 are all formed by combining the above sequence with variations of uza (root: u(z)) for hundreds, ina (root: i(n)) for thousands, ova (root: o(v)) for millions, and ela (root e(l)) for billions. The roots vary depending on whether they are followed by a vowel or consonant (avoiding vowel or consonant clusters). If the root appears at the end of the word, the full three-letter form is used. Numbers from 100 to 999 are formed as follows:
uza 100
usêna 101
ubêlê 102
uzana 103
ubana 104
ukolo 105
uzolo 106
usali 107
uzasi 108
udeka 109
uresa 110
uresêna 111
ubêres 120
uzares 130
ubares 140
ukores 150
uzores 160
usares 170
uzases 180
bêluza 200
bêlusêna 201
bêlubêlê 202
bêluzana 203
bêlurekolo 215
anuza 300
banuza 400
koluza 500
oluza 600
saluza 700
asuza 800
dekuza 900
dekubêresal 927
dekuzaresan 933
dekuzasesas 988
dekuderedek 999
Numbers from 1000 to 1000000 are formed as follows:
ina 1000
isêna 1001
ibêlê 1002
inana 1003
ideredek 1099
inuza 1100
inusêna 1101
ibêluza 1200
ibêluzareban 1234
inanuza 1300
ibanuza 1400
bêlina 2000
anina 3000
banina 4000
salina 7000
asina 8000
resina 10000
resisêna 10001
resinuza 10100
resinanubarekol 10345
resênina 11000
resêniresêna 11011
rebêlina 12000
resanina 13000
bêresina 20000
bêresanina 23000
saresina 70000
asesina 80000
deredekidekuderedek 99999
uzina 100000
uzinuza 100100
usêninuresa 101110
uresina 110000
bêluzina 200000
anuzina 300000
saluzasesalinasusaresas 787878
dekuderedekidekuderedek 999999
Numbers 1000000 and higher are formed as follows:
ova 1000000
osêna 1000001
ovuzina 1100000
obêluzarebanikoluzoresal 1234567
bêlova 2000000
resova 10000000
resovusêniresa 10101010
barebanova 44000000
ela 1000000000
esêna 1000000001
bêlela 2000000000
olebaresovanubêliresa 5040302010
Examples of Lorêm Numbers
The number of feet in a mile is kolibêluzases.
The number of days in a year is banuzorekol; in a leap year it's banuzoresol.
Light travels at the speed of approximately uzasesolina miles per second.
In the year ibanuderebêl Columbus discovered America.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in the year isalusaresol.
I was born in the year idekubaredek.
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| Page last modified on December 29, 2009 |
| Vabungula is an artificial language invented by Bill Price in 1965. |
| Vabungula co nûsk mugola famêlêtke onudž Bill Price larla alara idekuzorekol. |
| Copyright © 1999 by Bill Price |
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