Saturday, October 11, 2008

Countings or Numbers in Apatani – 1

The Basic Form of Number in Apatani

Numbers are pronounced differently for counting [number name (noun)] and for expressing the quantity (adjective). For example, for two (man)- the noun form is anyi and the adjective form is anye he.

The basic form of counting or number in Apatani is the one that is used for the man. The other forms are derived from this basic form with certain specific prefixes (dor, bar, per, gar etc.), based on the shape and size or the nature of a thing.

Object used for

to count (noun form)

to express quantity (adj. form)

man and also for animals or things when one is not very specific

kong [one]

ako or kone

anyi [two]

anye he

hing [three]

hing he

piilyi [four]

piilye he

yango [five]

yango he

khii [six]

khii he

kanu [seven]

kanu he

pinyi [eight]

pinye he

kowa [nine]

kowa he

alyan [ten]

alyan he

lekun [eleven]

alyan he la kone/ako

lenyi [twelve]

alyan he la anye he

lehing [thirteen]

alyan he la hing he

lepi [fourteen]

alyan he la piilye he

lengo [fifteen]

alyan he la yango he

lekhii [sixteen]

alyan he la khii he

kanu [seventeen]

alyan he la kanu he

pinyi [eight (after ten)]

alyan he la pinye he [eighteen]

kowa [nine (after ten)]

alyan he la kowa he [nineteen]

nyikhan [twenty]

nyikhan he

kong [one (after twenty)]

nyikhan he la kone/ ako [twenty one]

**anyi, hing etc

nyikhan he la anye he, nyikhan he la hing he etc.

hinkhan [thirty]

hinkhan he

alyan piilyi [forty]

alyan piilye he

alyan yango [fifty]

alyan yango he

alyan khii [sixty]

alyan khii he

kanu khang nge [seventy]

kanu khang nge

pinyi khang nge [eighty]

pinyi khang nge

kowa khang nge [ninety]

kowa khang nge

langn he la hinge nge / lan kun [one hundred]

lan nge

lan nyi [two hundred]

lan nye he

lan hing [three hundred]

lan hing he

lan pi [four hundred]

lan pe he

lan ngo [five hundred]

lan ngo he

lan khii [six hundred]

lan khii he

lan kanu [seven hundred]

lan kanu he

lan pinyi [eight hundred]

lan pinyi he

lan kowa [nine hundred]

lan kowa he

zare/ zarkun [one thousand]

zare

Note:

1. **From twenty onwards, for counting purpose, one to nine are repeated after tens without mentioning the name of the tens.

2. From ten onwards, for expressing the quantity, the numbers are in form of tens and ones e.g., alyan he la kone [eleven (ten and one)], nyikhan he la yango he [twenty five], alyan piilye he la hinge he [forty three] etc.