Yoruba numerals

{{Short description|Numerals in Yorùbá Language}}

{{More citations needed|date=December 2011}}

According to Lounge,Lounge, 2009. the Yoruba language has a rather elaborate vigesimal (base-20) numeral system that involves both addition and subtraction and multiplication.

The base of the counting system is ogún 'twenty' (or 'score'). There are words for each of the decades; units in 1–4 are created by adding to these, while units in 5–9 are created by subtracting from the next decade. The odd decades are created by subtracting ten from the next even decade, as in Danish. Multiples are also very important in the numerical system for example the number 60 is ọgọ́ta which literally means three twenties (ogún = 20, ẹ̀ta = 3).

Up to 30, Yoruba has distinct forms of the numerals for counting objects, which derive from counting cowries.

class="wikitable" ! !!Numeral!!Objects*!!colspan=3|Tens**!!colspan=3|Fives and tens!!colspan=3|Hundred!!colspan=3|Hundreds!!colspan=3|Thousands!!colspan=3|Myriads

1

ení, ọ̀kan

oókàn |11

ọ̀kanlá, oókànlá

10+1 |25

ẹ̀ẹ́dọ́gbọ̀n

30−5 |110

àádọ́fà

20×6−10 |210

ẹ̀wálélúɡba

200+10 |1400

egbèje

200×7 |8,000

ẹgbàarin

2000×4

2

èjì

eéjì |12

èjìlá, eéjìlá

10+2 |30

ọgbọ̀n, ọɡbọ̀n ǒ

– |120

ọ(gọ́)fà

20×6 |300

ọ̀ọ́dúrún, ọ̀ọ́dúnrún

400−100 |1600

ẹgbẹ̀jọ

200×8 |9,000

ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbàarùn-ún

2000×5−1000

3

ẹ̀ta

ẹẹ́ta |13

ẹ̀tàlá, ẹẹ́tàlá

10+3 |35

aárùn-ún-dínlógójì

20×2−5 |130

àádóje

20×7−10 |400

irinwó

— |1800

ẹgbẹ̀sán

200×9 |10,000

ẹgbàarùn-ún

2000×5

4

ẹ̀rin

ẹẹ́rin |14

ẹ̀rìnlá, ẹẹ́rìnlá

10+4 |40

ogójì › ojì

20×2 |140

o(gó)je

20×7 |500

ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta

200×3−100 |2,000

ẹgbẹ̀wá ~ ẹgbàá

200×10 |16,000

ẹgbàajọ

2000×8

5

àrún

aárùn-ún |15

ẹ̀ẹ́dógún***

20−5 |50

àádọ́ta

20×3−10 |150

àádọ́jọ

20×8−10 |600

ẹgbẹ̀ta

200×3 |2,200

ẹgbọ̀kànlá

200×11 |20,000

ẹgbàawàá; ọ̀kẹ́ kan

2000×10; 1 bag

6

ẹ̀fà

ẹẹ́fà |16

ẹ̀rìndínlógún, ẹẹ́rìndínlógún

20−4 |60

ọgọ́ta › ọta

20×3 |160

ọ(gọ́)jọ

20×8 |700

ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin

200×4−100 |3,000

ẹgbẹ̀ẹ́dógún; ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàajì

200×15; 2000x2-1000 |100,000

ọ̀kẹ́ márùn-ún

5 bags

7

èje

eéje |17

ẹ̀tàdínlógún, ẹẹ́tàdínlógún

20−3 |70

àádọ́rin

20×4−10 |170

àádọ́sàn-án

20×9−10 |800

ẹgbẹ̀rin

200×4 |4,000

ẹgbàajì

2000×2 |1,000,000

àádọ́ta ọkẹ́; ẹgbẹẹgbẹ̀rún

50 bags; 1000×1000

8

ẹ̀jọ

ẹẹ́jọ |18

èjìdínlógún, eéjìdínlógún

20−2 |80

ọgọ́rin › ọrin

20×4 |180

ọ(gọ́)sàn-án

20×9 |900

ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rún

200×5−100 |5,000

ẹgbẹ̀ẹ́dọ́gbọ̀n; ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàata

200×25; 2000x3-1000 |2,000,000

ọgọ́rùn-ún ọ̀kẹ́, ọrún ọ̀kẹ́

100 bags

9

ẹ̀sán

ẹẹ́sàn-án |19

ọ̀kàndínlógún, oókàndínlógún

20−1 |90

àádọ́rùn-ún

20×5−10 |190

ẹ̀wádínlúɡba, àádọ́wàá

200−10 |1000

ẹgbẹ̀rún

200×5 |6,000

ẹgbàata

2000×3 |3,000,000

àádọ́jọ ọ̀kẹ́

150 bags

10

ẹ̀wá

ẹẹ́wàá |20

ogún, okòó

— |100

ọgọ́rùn-ún › ọrún

20×5 |200

igba, igbéo

20x10 |1200

ẹgbẹ̀fà

200×6 |7,000

ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbàarin

2000×4−1000 |4,000,000

igba ọ̀kẹ́

200 bags

:* Oókàn is a contraction of owó ọ̀kan 'one cowrie'; 2–10, 20, and 30 are analogous.

:** Lá is a contraction of lé ẹ̀wá 'and ten'.

:*** Ẹ̀ẹ́dógún is a contraction of aárùn-ún-dí(n)(l)ógún 'five from twenty'.

:*** igbéo is a contraction of igba owó 'a heap of cowries'.

Ogún is the basic word for twenty, okòó the word when counting objects. For thirty, the forms are ọgbọ̀n and ọɡbọ̀n ǒ. Units apart from the fives are generally transparent: oókànlélógún 'twenty-one', eéjìdínlọ́ɡbọ̀n 'twenty-eight', etc. There are also more recent decimal forms for the thousands: 2,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún méjì 'thousand twice', 3,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún mẹ́ta 'thousand thrice', etc., as well as additive forms for the fives, due to the influence of English. Numbers higher than 20,000 also tend to be transparent: 40,000 is ẹgbàawàá lọ́nà méjì '20,000 two times'.