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2.2.1. Indefinite
Attributes of measurement which cannot be counted because of either their unbroken nature or the impossibility of determining exact number form the indefinite adjectives.
Example - 

akn
‘someone’
az
‘few’
dék
‘many/much’

2.2.2. Definite
Definite quantity of a thing is always expressed in units. These discrete quantities are adjectives of quantity. The cardinal numbers from one to ten, however, do not enter into construction with the qualified noun, but through the particles which are known as classifiers or numerical definitive and denote the nature of the object enumerated. The classifier numeral combination invariably follows the noun qualified.
Example -

eki
adrk
‘one dog’
kitab
darńik
‘two books’

2.3. Numerals
Numerals form a subclass of definite adjectives. The numerals from one to ten are stem forms and from eleven onwards are formed by compounding the base forms from one to ten. There are two types of numerals viz.,
(a) Cardinals
(b) Ordinals
2.3.1. Cardinals
There are, in total, five processes of formation of cardinal numerals.
(a) Base forms

įk
‘one’
įnńi
‘two’
įum
‘three’
įppi
‘four’
į
‘five’
įppė
‘six’
kļnļd
‘seven’
pķńi
‘eight’
ińi
‘ten’
k
‘hundred’

(b) Subtraction

pna
‘nine’
(10-1=9)

(c) Addition

ińiklaįk
‘eleven’
(10+1)
ińiklaįnńi
‘twelve’
(10+2)
ińiklaNįum
‘thirteen’
(10+3)

(d) Multiplication

ińiįnńik
‘twenty’
(10x2)
ińiįumk
‘thirty’
(10x3)
ińiįppik
‘forty’
(10x4)
lļńik
‘thousand’
(100x10)

(e) Multiplication & addition

ińiįnńi (la) įk
‘twentyone’
(10x2+1)
iniįnńi (la) įnńik
‘twentytwo’
(10x2+2)

2.3.2 Ordinal numerals :
Ordinals denote position in a numerical series. These are of two types - (a) fractions (b) non-fractionals.
2.3.2.1 Fractions :
Fractional ordinals are formed by adding /-tąki/ ‘to divide’ or ‘to share’. All functional ordinals are compound forms.
Examples :

tąkpļ dįk
‘one fourth’
(tąki + įpļ + dė + įk)
share + four + ten + the

 

 

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