(b) summation and multiplication:
|
ekoys ‘twenty one’ =ek +(oy X s) = 1 +(2 X 10)=1+20=21
boys ‘twenty two’ =b+(oy X s) = 2+(2 X 10)=2+20=22 etc. |
The secondary numerals showing the structure cited above have also an
alternative pattern1, viz., the full form of the
respective terminal vocabulary is post-posed to the secondary numeral in the
multiple of ten with or without the intervening postposition up r
‘upon/on’ to the secondary numeral in the multiples of ten, as in:
|
bis ek ~ bis upr
ek ‘twenty one’
|
| tis duy
~ tis upr duy ‘thirty
two’ etc. |
| |
In the same manner, the multiples of twenty from forty to eighty have a
form which alternates with the regular forms, as in:
|
colis ~ do bis ‘forty’
hati ~ tini bis ‘sixty’
si ~ sari
bs ‘eighty’ etc.
|
These alternative forms have twenty as the base form and the respective
number with which the base form is to be multiplied is preposed to the base
form.
|
The structural relationship of the various
constituents that form a
numeral in this language is formailzed as under:
|
| 1. A2 alone |
eg: ek, duy, dos, etc. |
| 2. A + B |
eg: baro |
‘twelve’ |
| 3. A X B |
eg: bis |
‘twenty’ |
| 4. -A + (A X B) |
eg: onnoys |
‘nineteen’ |
| 5. A + (A X B) |
eg: ekoys |
‘twenty one’ |
| 6. (A X B) + A |
eg: bisek |
‘twenty one’ |
| 7. (A X B) + PP + A |
eg: bis up«r
ek |
‘twenty one’ |
| 8. A X A X B |
eg: do bis |
‘forty’ |
|
1 This seems to be a pan-Indian feature of
pidginization of the numerals in that all over India, where the Hindi
numerals are used outside the main Hindi belt, the business community
including the small and big shopkeepers are found to use the structure AXB upr
+ A. In Nagaland also this type of structure might have been introduced by
the Marwaris, a business community from Rajasthan. They speak a variety of
Hindi.
1The value of A is 1 to 9 100 and also 10 in
isolation. The value of B is 10 when B occurs with A. The numerals beyond
100 can be built up in this manner but not listed here. The numeral hundred
and one could either be ekosoek or ekso up«r
ek and 112 would be ekso upr
baro etc.
|
A mentioned earlier, the
structure 5, 6, and 7 illustrated above alternate amongst themselves.
The structure 6, viz. (A X B) + A and the structure 7, viz., (A X B) +
PP + A are of high frequency usage in fist and vegetable markets,
while the structure 5, viz., A + (A X B) is used in formal situation.
In the same way, in the use of the multiples of twenty also, the
structure No. 8 is of very high frequency and is the preferred one in
all the informal situations.
|
The numerals from 11 to 20
and the multiples of ten upto 90 are listed below:
|
| egaro |
‘eleven’ |
bis |
‘twenty’ |
| baro |
‘twelve’ |
tris |
‘thirty’ |
| tero |
‘thirteen’ |
colis |
‘forty’ |
| cwdo |
‘fourteen’ |
poncas |
‘fifty’ |
| hullo |
‘sixteen’ |
hati |
‘sixty’ |
| hutro |
‘seventeen’ |
hotur |
‘seventy’ |
| ataro |
‘eighteen’ |
si |
‘eighty’ |
| onnoys |
‘nineteen’ |
noboy |
‘ninety’ |
The
numerals from twenty one to thirty are listed below
|
| ekoys |
‘twenty one’ |
coyis |
‘twenty six’ |
| boys |
‘twenty two’ |
hutoys |
‘twenty seven’ |
| teis |
‘twenty three’ |
atoys |
‘twenty eight’ |
| cwis |
‘twenty four’ |
ontris |
‘twenty nine’ |
| poncis |
‘twenty five’ |
tris |
‘thirty’. |
|
Ordinals:
|
Every numeral in this
language, whether it be a primary or secondary one can in its turn be
converted into an ordinal numeral by suffixing the ordinal marker la/tyor
to the numeral concerned, as in:
|
| poy + la |
poyla |
‘first’ |
| di + tyor |
dityor |
‘second’ |
| tri + tyor |
trityor |
‘third’ |
| hullo + tyor |
hullotyor |
‘sixteenth’ etc. |
|
Fractions :
|
This language also makes use
of fractions. The fractions available are:
|
ada laga ada2
or pua ‘¼’
ada ‘½’
tini pau ‘¾’
|
1The
numerals beyond thirty-one are formed in this manner.
2Both form are available. The latter form is used
in formal occasions.
|
