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.
