Counting in South Efate

Language overview

The South Efate language (Fate, Erakor) is a Southern Oceanic language of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. Spoken on the island of Efate, in central Vanuatu, it counts about 6,000 speakers.

Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 999 in South Efate. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

South Efate numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

• Digits from one to nine are specific words: i-skei [1], i-nru [2], i-tul [3], i-fat [4], i-lim [5], i-ɪa-tes [6], i-ɪa-ru [7], i-ɪa-tul [8], and i-ɪ-fot [9].
• Tens are formed by setting the multiplier unit after the word for ten (ralim, from ra, two, and lim, five, or two times five): ralim i-skei (or only ralim) [10], ralim i-nru [20], ralim i-tul [30], ralim i-fat [40], ralim i-lim [50], ralim i-ɪa-tes [60], ralim i-ɪa-ru [70], ralim i-ɪa-tul [80], and ralim i-ɪ-fot [90].
• Compound numbers are formed by linking the ten and the unit digit with the word atmat (plus), separated with spaces (e.g.: ralim i-skei atmat i-skei [11], ralim i-ɪa-tes atmat i-ɪa-tul [68]).
• Hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier unit after the word for hundred (tifli): tifli i-skei [100], tifli i-nru [200], tifli i-tul [300], tifli i-fat [400], tifli i-lim [500], tifli i-ɪa-tes [600], tifli i-ɪa-ru [700], tifli i-ɪa-tul [800], and tifli i-ɪ-fot [900].
• Compound hundreds are formed by stating the hundred, then the ten and the unit (e.g.: tifli i-fat ralim i-nru atmat i-tul [423], tifli i-ɪim ralim i-ɪa-tes atmat i-nru [562]).

Write a number in full in South Efate

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in South Efate. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.

Books

Links

• Voyage à travers des îles et des nombres, Christian Soulard (.pdf, in French)

Central Malayo-Polynesian languages

Gilbertese, Kagayanen, Nume, South Efate, and Tukudede.

Other supported languages

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.