The
Yami cardinal numbers
from one to ten are presented as follows:
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
ása
|
dóa
|
tílo
|
ápat
|
líma
|
ánem
|
píto
|
wáo
|
síam
|
póo
|
Numbers above ten are expressed “in fraction”. In
other words, eleven is literally one out of the
second ten, and twenty-two is two out of the third
ten, as shown in the following left column.
Multiples of ten, on the other hand, are expressed
with the number followed by the linker
a ,
and the unit of ten
“ngernan”,
as presented in the following right column.
|
11 |
asa
so ikaroa (a
ngernan)
|
60 |
anem
a ngernan
|
|
22 |
adoa
so ikatilo
|
70 |
apito
a ngernan
|
|
33 |
atlo
so ikapat
|
80 |
awao
a ngernan
|
|
44 |
apat
so ikalima
|
90 |
asiam
a ngernan
|
|
55 |
alima
so ikanem
|
100 |
asa
a poo
|
Ordinals are prefixed with
ika-
except for ‘the first', which is
expressed differently, as follows:
|
First |
Second |
Third |
Fourth |
Fifth |
Sixth |
|
nimanomá
na
|
ikadoa
na
|
ikatlo
na
|
ikapat
na
|
ikalima
na
|
ikanem
na
|
Multiples are formed with
ipi-
, as follows:
|
Once |
Twice |
Three times |
Four times |
Five times |
Six times |
|
ipisa
|
ipidoa
|
ipitlo
|
ipipat
|
ipilima
|
ipinem
|
The concept for ‘only so and so much' is expressed
by lengthening the final vowel of the numbers in
either open or closed syllables, as follows:
|
Only one |
Only two |
Only three |
Only four |
Only five |
Only six |
|
asáa
|
adoáa
|
atilóo
|
apáat
|
alimáa
|
anéem
|
The concept that ‘such and such an amount is
allocated to each unit' is expressed by prefixing
tey-
to the numbers, as follows. If the
number begins with a vowel, the vowel is reduced to
/e/, but if the number begins with a consonant, the
initial CV- is reduplicated, as illustrated in
(147)-(148):
|
One for each |
Two for each |
Three for each |
Four for each |
Five for each |
Six for each |
|
teyesa
|
teydedoa
|
teytetlo
|
teyepat
|
teylilima
|
teyenem
|
(147)
namen
tey-epat aka among.
1.P.NOM.EXCL each-four CON fish
‘We
were allocated four fish.'
(148)
sia
tey-te-tlo so
vanga.
3.P.NOM each-RED-three OBL pot
‘They were allocated three pots.'
The concept of ‘in a group of such and such a
number' is expressed by prefixing
tey-
to the reduplicated root. The
reduplication of the initial Ca- syllable is done
twice, as in
tey-ra-ra-roa
‘two in a group', as follows. More
examples are provided in (149)-(150).
|
Group of two |
Group of three |
Group of four |
Group of five |
Group of six |
|
teyrararoa
|
teytatatilo
|
teypapapat
|
teylalalima
|
teynananem
|
(149)
tey-la-la-lima
kamo
a s-om-dep.
group-RED-Ca-five 2.P.NOM LIN <AF>enter
‘Come in in groups of
five.'
(150)
namen
tey-pa-pa-pito do
asa aka
mibetbet.
1.P.NOM.EXCL group-RED-Ca-seven LOC one CON
fishing.boat
‘We
have seven people to a fishing boat.'
