Tyap/Numbering system
We shall take the Tyap numbering system in terms of:
- Ordinal numbers
- Cardinal numbers
- Frequency
Ordinal numbers
editFangnkyang di̱n Tyap: Nla̱mba
Small numbers
edit| Number | Tyap | English |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Gum, Piit | Zero |
| 1 | A̱nyiung/Nyiung/Jhyiung | One |
| 2 | A̱feang/Feang/Sweang | Two |
| 3 | A̱tat/Tat/Tsat | Three |
| 4 | A̱naai/Naai/Nyaai | Four |
| 5 | A̱fwuon/Fwuon/Tswuon | Five |
| 6 | A̱taa | Six |
| 7 | A̱natat | Seven |
| 8 | A̱ni̱nai | Eight |
| 9 | A̱kubunyiung | Nine |
| 10 | Swak | Ten |
| 11 | Swak ma̱ng a̱nyiung | Eleven |
| 12 | Swak ma̱ng a̱feang | Twelve |
| 13 | Swak ma̱ng a̱tat | Thirteen |
| 14 | Swak ma̱ng a̱naai | Fourteen |
| 15 | Swak ma̱ng a̱fwuon | Fifteen |
| 16 | Swak ma̱ng a̱taa | Sixteen |
| 17 | Swak ma̱ng a̱natat | Seventeen |
| 18 | Swak ma̱ng a̱ni̱nai | Eighteen |
| 19 | Swak ma̱ng a̱kubunyiung | Nineteen |
| 20 | Nswak nfeang | Twenty |
In Tyap, there are three ways of naming numbers one to five. When to use which depends on the class the noun/adjective/pronoun being quantified belongs. Remember, Tyap has six classifiers (definite articles). Please see: here.
- For words in Category A and C, use numbers a̱nyiung (1), a̱feang (2), a̱tat (3), a̱naai (4), a̱fwuon (5).
- For example, nggwon a̱nyiung (one child), a̱ka̱kwon a̱feang (two trees)
- For words in Category B,
- in the "HU" Class, use numbers nyiung (1), feang (2), tat (3), naai (4), fwuon (5).
- For example, kyikyo nyiung (one leaf), nkyang nfeang (two things). NB: In this class when a plural noun is used, the number receives a nasal prefix n-, especially when the singular form of that plural word belongs to same "HU" Class.
- in the "JI" Class, use numbers jhyiung (1), sweang (2), tsat (3), nyaai (4), tswuon (5).
- For example, tswa jhyiung (one nut), zam sweang (two boys). NB: In this class when a plural noun is used, the number does not receive any nasal prefix.
- in the "HU" Class, use numbers nyiung (1), feang (2), tat (3), naai (4), fwuon (5).
Knowing the above numbering from zero to 20, let's count in tens from 30 to 100.
| 30 | Nswak ntat | Thirty |
| 40 | Nswak nnaai | Forty |
| 50 | Nswak nfwuon | Fifty |
| 60 | Nswak a̱taa | Sixty |
| 70 | Nswak a̱natat | Seventy |
| 80 | Nswak a̱ni̱nai | Eighty |
| 90 | Nswak a̱kubunyiung | Ninety |
| 100 | Cyi jhyiung | One hundred |
In counting other numbers in-between the tens, the format is <TENS> ma̱ng <UNITS>. Replace <UNITS> with a number between one and nine. Replace <TENS> with nswak nfeang, nswak ntat, nswak nnaai, nswak nfwuon, nswak a̱taa, nswak a̱natat, nswak a̱ni̱nai, or nswak a̱kubunyiung. For example, nswak nfeang ma̱ng a̱nyiung translates to twenty one. Your turn! Now practice how to count from zero to ninety-nine.
Large Numbers
editHundreds
Note that what could be termed as the "ancient" counting system used for 1-5 is usually used from 100 till infinity. 1 becomes jhyiung, and no more a̱nyiung. Same thing with the 2,3,4 and 5 placed immediately after cyi, the word for hundred.
100: Cyi jhyiung
101: Cyi ma̱ng nyiung
102: Cyi ma̱ng feang
103: Cyi ma̱ng tat
104: Cyi ma̱ng nyaai
105: Cyi ma̱ng fwuon
106: Cyi ma' taa
107: Cyi ma̱ng natat
108: Cyi ma̱ng ninai
109: Cyi ma̱ng kubunyiung
110: Cyi ma̱ng swak
120: Cyi ma̱ng nswak nfeang
130: Cyi ma̱ng nswak ntat
140: Cyi ma̱ng nswak nyaai
150: Cyi ma̱ng nswak nfwuon
160: Cyi ma̱ng nswak a̱taa
170: Cyi ma̱ng nswak a̱natat
180: Cyi ma̱ng nswak a̱ni̱nai
190: Cyi ma̱ng nswak a̱kubunyiung
200: Cyi sweang
300: Cyi tsat
400: Cyi nyaai
500: Cyi tswuon
600: Cyi a̱taa
700: Cyi a̱natat
800: Cyi a̱ni̱nai (or a̱ri̱nai)
900: Cyi a̱kubunyiung
999: Cyi a̱kubunyiung ma̱ng nswak a̱kubunyiung ma̱ng a̱kubunyiung
Thousands
Hayab (2016:66-67) in his research on Hyam, a related language to Tyap found out that the original word for number 10 is "kop"/kwop, and that the present word used for ten was the de facto word used for twelve or a dozen is "shwak" (in Hyam) or swak (in Tyap).
Due to the growing Hausa/English influence, undoubtedly before 1920 (because Thomas (1920:59) cited an example with Kagoro (Gworok) which, unlike its neighbours the Nungu, Ninzam, S. Mada and Mama, was not using as at then, the duodecimal system), the counting system has taken the shape of the Hausa/English decimal style and the word "kop/kwop" became almost extinct, while the "swak" took its place and misplaced its original meaning, which is twelve, to now mean ten.
With this in mind, when one considers the number "1,000" or cyi kwop jhyiung ("cyi kwop" is spelled one word), one can say that it literally means "hundred ten one" or "100 X 10 X 1".
Below are the modern Tyap Counting style in thousands:
1,000: Cyikwop jhyiung
1,018: Cyikwop jhyiung ma̱ng nswak ma̱ng a̱ni̱nai
1,500: Cyikwop jhyiung ma̱ng Cyi tswuon
2,000: Cyikwop sweang
3,000: Cyikwop tsat
4,000: Cyikwop nyaai
5,000: Cyikwop tswuon
6,000: Cyikwop a̱taa
7,000: Cyikwop a̱natat
8,000: Cyikwop a̱ni̱nai
9,000: Cyikwop a̱kubunyiung
10,000: Cyikwop swak
20,000: Cyikwop Nswak nfeang
30,000 : Cyikwop Nswak ntat
40,000: Cyikwop Nswak nnaai
50,000: Cyikwop Nswak nfwuon
60,000: Cyikwop Nswak a̱taa
70,000: Cyikwop Nswak a̱natat
80,000: Cyikwop Nswak a̱ni̱nai (or nswak a̱ri̱nai)
90,000: Cyikwop Nswak a̱kubunyiung
100,000: Cyikwop cyi jhyiung
200,000: Cyikwop cyi sweang
300,000: Cyikwop cyi tsat
400,000: Cyikwop cyi nyaai
500,000: Cyikwop cyi tswuon
600,000: Cyikwop cyi a̱taa
700,000: Cyikwop cyi a̱natat
800,000: Cyikwop cyi a̱ni̱nai
900,000: Cyikwop cyi a̱kubunyiung
Larger numbers
editMillions
1,000,000: Milyon or cyikwop cyikwop jhyiung or simply Cyikwop a̱ka̱feang jhyiung
2,000,000: Milyon sweang
3,000,000: Milyon tsat
4,000,000: Milyon nyaai
5,000,000: Milyon tswuon
6,000,000: Milyon a̱taa
7,000,000: Milyon a̱natat
8,000,000: Milyon a̱ni̱nai
9,000,000: Milyon a̱kubunyiung
10,000,000 : Milyon Swak
20,000,000: Milyon Nswak nfeang
30,000,000: Milyon Nswak ntat
40,000,000: Milyon Nswak nnaai
50,000,000: Milyon Nswak nfwuon
60,000,000: Milyon Nswak a̱taa
70,000,000: Milyon Nswak a̱natat
80,000,000: Milyon Nswak a̱ni̱nai
90,000,000: Milyon Nswak a̱kubunyiung
100,000,000: Milyon cyi jhyiung
200,000,000: Milyon cyi sweang
300,000,000: Milyon cyi tsat
400,000,000: Milyon cyi nyaai
500,000,000: Milyon cyi tswuon
600,000,000: Milyon cyi a̱taa
700,000,000: Milyon cyi a̱natat
800,000,000: Milyon cyi a̱ni̱nai
900,000,000: Milyon cyi a̱kubunyiung
Billions and Trillions
1,000,000,000: Bilyon or Cyikwop cyikwop cyikwop or simply Cyikwop a̱ka̱tat jhyiung
10,000,000,000: Bilyon Swak
100,000,000,000: Bilyon Cyi jhyiung
1,000,000,000,000: Trilyon or cyikwop cyikwop cyikwop cyikwop or simply Cyikwop a̱ka̱naai jhyiung.
10,000,000,000,000: Trilyon Swak
100,000,000,000,000: Trilyon Cyi jhyiung