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Kirtumur: Difference between revisions
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As to their syntax, numerals behave very much like nouns. Like a noun, a numeral can make up a noun phrase, having the case marker appropriate for the grammatical function. In their morphology, however, numerals differ from nouns slightly, as they have two forms: cardinal and ordinal, they can also form specific compounds that nouns can not form, which do not necessarily indicate a number (for example, when introducing a person: ''Y'''ik''' Rinki'' "this is Rinki", where ''ik'' is the word for "one"). | As to their syntax, numerals behave very much like nouns. Like a noun, a numeral can make up a noun phrase, having the case marker appropriate for the grammatical function. In their morphology, however, numerals differ from nouns slightly, as they have two forms: cardinal and ordinal, they can also form specific compounds that nouns can not form, which do not necessarily indicate a number (for example, when introducing a person: ''Y'''ik''' Rinki'' "this is Rinki", where ''ik'' is the word for "one"). | ||
Numerals are written with separate symbols, which do not provide any information about how they are pronounced. Some numerals are simple, meaning that they consist of a single stem, while most numerals are compounds, made up from simple numerals. Compound numerals are either additive (''hōik'' "seven" - "6+1") or multiplicative ('' | Numerals are written with separate symbols, which do not provide any information about how they are pronounced. Some numerals are simple, meaning that they consist of a single stem, while most numerals are compounds, made up from simple numerals. Compound numerals are either additive (''hōik'' "seven" - "6+1") or multiplicative (''yakhō'' "thirty" "5×6"). | ||
Here are some Kirtumur numerals: | Here are some Kirtumur numerals: | ||
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! 12 | ! 12 | ||
| ''cehō'' || ''cehōtin'' | | ''cehō'' || ''cehōtin'' | ||
|- | |||
! 13 | |||
| ''cehōmik'' || ''cehōmiktin'' | |||
|- | |- | ||
! 36 | ! 36 | ||
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As can be seen from the table above, Kirtumur uses a [[w:Senary|senary]] numeral system ('''base-6'''), which is common among the Aiwanic languages. | As can be seen from the table above, Kirtumur uses a [[w:Senary|senary]] numeral system ('''base-6'''), which is common among the Aiwanic languages. Thus it employs separate words for powers of six: ''hō'' (6), ''mun'' (6<sup>2</sup>), ''zōr'' (6<sup>3</sup>), ''secek'' (6<sup>4</sup>), other large numerals are compounds: ''yakhōmak'' (35 or 55<sub>6</sub>, "5×6+5"), ''mun cehōška'' or ''mun-ka-cehōšek'' depending on a speech register (51 or 123<sub>6</sub> "36+2×6+3"). | ||
Cardinal numerals are used attributively or independently. When used attributively, a cardinal is part of a noun phrase and quantifies a noun and an attributive cardinal always follows its head noun: ''Nihōktir khiŋ '''hō'''ax'' "There are six days in a week"; ''Cuthuri ninma mirimōma '''eška'''nu'' "the prophetic triplets of Cuthuri (a large Umu city)". Rarely a numeral can behave like an adjective: ''yu eškax urireya'' "write down number three" (literally: "it, being three, write down"). A numeral can also be used independently from nouns: ''phak athaix'' "There were four (of them)", ''ŋeŋapnu hōškax'' "She/he has nine plates" (literally: "his/her plates are nine"). | |||
With the exception of the first six, ordinal numerals are formed from the cardinal ones by adding the suffix ''-in'': ''ra '''eše'''zur'' "for the third time". An ordinal can make up a noun phrase in its own right: ''ešne esathukkatō'' "the fourth one has been received" | |||
[[Category:Languages]] | [[Category:Languages]] | ||