Numbers
Numerals and mathematical operations are particles.
Cardinal Numbers
The number system in High Lulani uses balanced sesquidecimal (base 15), and so numbers are written with the positive digits (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), their negative counterparts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) and a zero (0). A period (fractional point: . ) is used to separate the integer part of the number from the mantissa. A comma (,) is used in the integer part to separate the digits into groupings of four, beginning from the fractional point.
One-digit Numbers
These are the names for the one-digit numbers:
| qihha | ねっは | 0 | |||
| xita | した | 1 | mu | む | 1 |
| ra | ら | 2 | kannu | かっぬ | 2 |
| kifi | きべ | 3 | bila | びわ | 3 |
| nuru | ぬる | 4 | missu | みっす | 4 |
| guhi | ぐひ | 5 | laffi | わっべ | 5 |
| ’usi | うせ | 6 | siti | せて | 6 |
| salumi | さをみ | 7 | haki | はき | 7 |
The full form qihha ねっは zero is only used when by itself, or first in a number or noun phrase. Otherwise, the clipped form -hha っは ten is used.
Two-digit Numbers
Numbers between 17 and 16 are composed of the quasi-prefix sa さ and the final two syllables of the number, except for salura (not sara) 12.
Round numbers, i.e.: numbers ending with a single zero, use the suffix -hha っは.
- sahha さっは 10
- rahha らっは 20
- kifihha きべっは 30
All other two digit numbers, except for 22, are formed by juxtaposing the tens digit with the units.
- mukifi むきべ 13
- xitasalumi したさをみ 17
- ranuru らぬる 24
- kifilaffi きべわっべ 35
The word for 22, the exception, is ranira らにら.
Three- and Four-digit Numbers
Three- and four-digit numbers are divided into the number of hundreds, and the remainder. This remainder is always the last two digits of the number.
The word for 100 is takki たっき. Other three-digit numbers beginning with a 1 are formed by prefixing this word to the remainder, while even larger three- and four-digit numbers append it to the number of hundreds, which is then followed by the remainder as a separate word.
- takkinurukannu たっきぬるかっぬ 142
- guhitakki ’usibila ぐひたっき うせびわ 563
- sahhatakki kifinuru さっはたっき きべぬる 1034
- kannuratakki missumu かっぬらたっき みっすむ 2241
In any of these cases, if the remainder is zero, it is left off.
- mutakki むたっき 100
- ratakki らたっき 200
- saguhitakki さぐひたっき 1500
- bilasalumitakki びわさをみたっき 3700
Higher and Lower Order Numbers
When a number is written out in digits, each set of four digits from the fractional point makes up a group. The group furthest from the fractional point may not have this full quota of digits. An index marker notes the identity of a particular group.
The index marker is composed of the prefix pa- ぱ followed by the number of groups between this one and the fractional point. Positive index numbers are for the integer part of the number, and negative index numbers are for the mantissa.
The index marker is suffixed to the group word.
There is nothing preventing an index-marked number being used within another index marker, although the second pa- is usually geminated.
- pappaxita ぱっぱした 1,00001,0000
- papappaxita ぱぱっぱした 1,00001,0000^1,0000
Non-integral Numbers
Reading Mantissas
There are two ways to read a mantissa. One uses the above method of index markers, and the second reads out the digits in pairs or individually. These methods are often combined: using index markers for the first digit groups, and then continuing to read digits separately.
Repeating and Reflecting Strings
All rational numbers end with a repeating string of digits. For some numbers, this string is “0”. In non-zero cases, the word tuni とに repeat is inserted before the repeating string. The string must be read out with individual digits.
There are also numbers for which the repeating string can be cut in half, with digits in the second half being the negative of the digits in the first half. For these, only the first half is read out, with the word mala まわ reflect inserted.
Fractions
The suffix -ki き separates the numerator from the denominator. If the numerator is 1, then saki さき is used. There is also a commonly used variant for ½: ’ima いま.
Other Numbers
Other numbers include:
Fixi batu du’ami calu ’u ’anu xita.
。べしばとどあみやをうあぬした。
fixi batu du’ami calu ’u ’anu xita
τ multiply i power e equals one.
“e to the power of τ times i equals one.”
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are used to mark position in a line or a list.
The first two ordinal numbers are suppletive, that is, they are not related to their cardinals. All other ordinals are formed by adding the suffix -uju よ to the cardinal number.
Using Numbers
Ordinal and cardinal numbers are used in noun phrases, and are inserted between any case markers or adpositions, and the noun.
- “the fourth king”
- “due to the seven queens.”
Numbers can be suffixed to a noun to denote not the quantity, but a quality.
- “seven books”
- “septet”
The number ra ら two can be used in this way to refer to a pair of something.