|
churi kethom |
|
‘three thousand
(1000x3)’
|
|
|
churi pho-kep |
|
fifty thousand
(1000x50)’
|
| It should be noted that
in multiples of ten, thenumeral ten follows the other numerals
whereas in multiples of hundred and thousand, the numerals
hundred and thousand precede them. Also, note that
multiplication is not formally marked. |
The form for ‘eighty’
charikuri is a loanblend. kuri is an alternate form
for ‘twenty’ i koy
~ ikor. charikuri
is formed by multiplying char ‘four’ in Assamese with
kuri ‘twenty’. Thus it was found that a system of
multiplication exists side by side as multiples of twenty.
kuri itself was found to be a multiple of ten.
|
| kuri |
‘twenty (2x10)’ |
| du kuri |
‘forty (2x20)’ |
| chari kuri |
‘eighty (4x20)’ |
| pach kuri |
‘hundred (5x20)’ |
|
The numerals du
‘two’, chari ‘four’ and pach ‘five’ are borrowed
from Assamese.
|
The numeral ‘ten
thousand’ojut has an alternate form which is formed as a
multiple of ten.
|
| ojut |
‘ten thousand’ |
| churi |
‘thousand’ |
| churi kep |
‘ten thousand (1000x10)’ |
|
For ‘hundred’ pharo,
the Assamese form ek ho ‘one hundred’ is also used.
|
| Subtraction |
The basic numbers
‘eight’ and ‘nine’ are formed by subtracting ‘two’ and ‘one’
from ‘ten’ respectively.
|
|
|
| ner-kep |
‘eight (2 less 10)’ |
| chir-kep |
‘nine (1 less 10)’ |
|
On the analogy of
‘seventy’, ‘eighty’ and ‘ninety’ are formed.
|
|
|
| throk-chi |
‘seven (6+1)’ |
| throk-chi-kep |
‘seventy (6+1 x 10)’ |
| throk-ner-kep |
‘eighty (6+2 x 10)’ |
| throk-chir-kep |
‘ninety (6+3 x 10)’ |
|
These two forms (80 and
90) are irregular formations because nerkep and
chirkep mean ‘eight’ and ‘nine’ respectively. |
The numeral system of Karbi
is summarized below.
|
| 1 to 6 |
throk |
‘6’ |
7 (6+1)
|
throk-chi
|
|
|
