How to count in Paiwan, a Formosan language spoken in southern Taiwan between Dawu mountain and South Hengchun.
If any of the numbers are links, you can hear a recording by clicking on them. If you can provide recordings, please contact me.
| Numeral | Cardinal numbers | Ordinal numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ita | si-ka-ita |
| 2 | dusa, drusa | si-ka-dusa |
| 3 | tjelu | si-ka-tjelu |
| 4 | spatj | si-ka-spatj |
| 5 | lima, rima | si-ka-lima |
| 6 | unem | si-ka-unem |
| 7 | pitju | si-ka-pitju |
| 8 | alu, aru | si-ka-alu |
| 9 | siva | si-ka-siva |
| 10 | puluq, ta-puluq | si-ka-puluq |
| 11 | ta-puluq saka ita | |
| 12 | ta-puluq saka dusa | |
| 13 | ta-puluq saka tjelu | |
| 14 | ta-puluq saka spatj | |
| 15 | ta-puluq saka lima | |
| 16 | ta-puluq saka unem | |
| 17 | ta-puluq saka pitju | |
| 18 | ta-puluq saka alu | |
| 19 | ta-puluq saka siva | |
| 20 | dusa (a) puluq | |
| 21 | dusa puluq saka ika | |
| 22 | dusa puluq saka dusa | |
| 23 | dusa puluq saka tjelu | |
| 24 | dusa puluq saka spatj | |
| 25 | dusa puluq saka lima | |
| 26 | dusa puluq saka unem | |
| 27 | dusa puluq saka pitju | |
| 28 | dusa puluq saka alu | |
| 29 | dusa puluq saka siva | |
| 30 | tjelu a puluq | |
| 40 | spatj a puluq | |
| 50 | lima a puluq | |
| 60 | unem a puluq | |
| 70 | pitju a puluq | |
| 80 | alu a puluq | |
| 90 | siva a puluq | |
| 100 | iday (hundred), ta-iday (one hundred) | |
| 101 | ta-iday saka ita | |
| 121 | ta-iday saka dusa puluq saka ika | |
| 200 | dusa iday | |
| 222 | dusa iday saka dusa puluq saka dusa | |
| 300 | tjelu iday | |
| 400 | spatj iday | |
| 500 | lima iday | |
| 600 | unem iday | |
| 700 | pitju iday | |
| 800 | alu iday | |
| 900 | siva iday | |
| 1,000 | kuzuł (thousand), ta-kuzuł (one thousand) | |
| 2,000 | dusa kuzuł | |
| 2,531 | dusa kuzuł saka lima idiay saka tjelu puluq saka ita | |
| 3,000 | tjelu kuzuł | |
| 4,000 | spatj kuzuł | |
| 5,000 | lima kuzuł | |
| 6,000 | unem kuzuł | |
| 7,000 | pitju kuzuł | |
| 8,000 | alu kuzuł | |
| 9,000 | siva kuzuł | |
| 10,000 | kudaw, kudrau | |
| 100,000 | ta-puruq a kudravan | |
| millions, countless | ulaw | |
| 100,000,000 | urau | |
| 150,000,000 | ta-urau saka rim’ a kuzul a kudravan | |
| 1,000,000,000 | ta-puruq a urau |
For general counting of objects, such as money, pieces of wood etc, the following variants are frequently used for amounts of 10 and upwards.
| Numeral | Counting people | Counting objects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ma-tsidił | |
| 2 | ma-dusa | |
| 3 | ma-tjelu | |
| 4 | ma-spatj | |
| 5 | małe-lima | |
| 6 | małe-unem | |
| 7 | małe-pitju | |
| 8 | małe-alu | |
| 9 | małe-siva | |
| 10 | małe-ta-puluq | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq |
| 11 | małe-ta-puluq saka ma-tsidił | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka ita |
| 12 | małe-ta-puluq saka ma-dusa | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka dusa |
| 13 | małe-ta-puluq saka ma-tjelu | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka tjelu |
| 14 | małe-ta-puluq saka ma-spatj | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka spatj |
| 15 | małe-ta-puluq saka małe-lima | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka lima |
| 16 | małe-ta-puluq saka małe-unem | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka unem |
| 17 | małe-ta-puluq saka małe-pitju | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka pitju |
| 18 | małe-ta-puluq saka małe-alu | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka alu |
| 19 | małe-ta-puluq saka małe-siva | pu-si-ka-dusa puluq saka siva |
| 20 | małe-dusa-puluq | pu-si-ka-tjelu a puluq |
| 21 | małe-dusa-puluq saka ma-tsidił | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka ita |
| 22 | małe-dusa-puluq saka ma-dusa | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka dusa |
| 23 | małe-dusa-puluq saka ma-tjelu | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka tjelu |
| 24 | małe-dusa-puluq saka ma-spatj | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka spatj |
| 25 | małe-dusa-puluq saka małe-lima | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka lima |
| 26 | małe-dusa-puluq saka małe-unem | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka unem |
| 27 | małe-dusa-puluq saka małe-pitju | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka pitju |
| 28 | małe-dusa-puluq saka małe-alu | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka alu |
| 29 | małe-dusa-puluq saka małe-siva | pu-si-ka-tjelu puluq saka siva |
| 30 | małe-tjelu-puluq | pu-si-ka-spatj a puluq |
| 40 | małe-spatj-puluq | pu-si-ka-lima a puluq |
| 50 | małe-lima-puluq | pu-si-ka-unem a puluq |
| 60 | małe-unem-puluq | pu-si-ka-pitju a puluq |
| 70 | małe-pitju-puluq | pu-si-ka-alu a puluq |
| 80 | małe-alu-puluq | pu-si-ka-siva a puluq |
| 90 | małe-siva-puluq | pu-si-ka-ta iday |
| 100 | małe-ta-iday | pu-si-ka-dusa iday |
| 155 | małe-ta-iday saka lima puluq saka lima | pu-si-ka-dusa iday saka lima puluq saka lima |
| 1,000 | małe-ta-kuzuł | pu-si-ka-dusa kuzuł |
| 10,000 | małe-ta-kudaw |
How to count frequency, time, living plants, trees, houses, villages, fields, and number of wounds.
| Numeral | Counting (for frequency and duration of time) |
Counting (living plants, trees, houses, villages, fields and number of wounds) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | maka-ta-ł (‘one day’; ‘for one day’; on one occasion’) |
matja-ita |
| 2 | maka-p-usa-ł | matja-dusa |
| 3 | maka-tjelu-ł | matja-tjelu |
| 4 | maka-si-m-atj-el | matja-spatj |
| 5 | maka-lima-ł | matja-lima |
| 6 | maka-nem-eł | matja-unem |
| 7 | maka-pitju-ł | matja-pitju |
| 8 | maka-valu-ł | matja-valu |
| 9 | maka-siva-ł | matja-siva |
| 10 | maka-si-m-ulu | matja-puluq |
| 11 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-ta-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka ita |
| 12 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-p-usa-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka dusa |
| 13 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-tjelu-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka tjelu |
| 14 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-si-m-atj-el | matja-ta-puluq saka spatj |
| 15 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-lima-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka lima |
| 16 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-nem-eł | matja-ta-puluq saka unem |
| 17 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-pitju-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka pitju |
| 18 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-valu-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka alu |
| 19 | maka-si-m-ulu saka maka-siva-ł | matja-ta-puluq saka siva |
| 20 | matja-dusa (a) puluq |
Sources:
- Raleigh Ferrell: Paiwan Dictionary. Pacific Linguistics, Series C - No. 73. The Australian National University. Canberra – 1982
- Hans Egli: Paiwan Wörterbuch. Paiwan-Deutsch/Deutsch-Paiwan. Wiesbaden -2002
Information compiled by Wolfgang Kuhl
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Paiwan | Numbers
Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Kavalan, Kanakanavu, Paiwan, Pazeh, Puyuma, Saaroa, Saysiyat, Seediq, Tsou
Alphabetical index | Language family index
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