Ilocano has two number systems: one is native and the other is derived from Spanish. The systems are virtually used interchangeably. Yet, the situation can dictate which system is preferred.

Typically, Ilocanos use native numbers for one through 10, and Spanish numbers for amounts of 10 and higher.

Specific time is told using the Spanish system and numbers for hours and minutes, for example, Alas dos/A las dos (2 o'clock).

For dates, cardinal Spanish numbers are the norm; for example, 12 (dose) ti Julio/Hulio (the twelfth of July).

As with other roots in the language, numbers can undergo various forms of agglutination.

Cardinal edit

Cardinal numbers are those used in counting.

Number Ilocano-Native Ilocano-Spanish Spanish / Spanish-style spelling
1 maysa uno uno
2 dua dos dos
3 tallo tres tres
4 uppat kuatro cuatro
5 lima singko cinco
6 innem sais seis
7 pito siete siete
8 walo otso ocho
9 siam nuebe nueve
10 sangapulo,[1][2] pullo dies diez
11 sangapulo ket maysa onse once
12 sangapulo ket dua dose doce
13 sangapulo ket tallo trese trece
14 sangapulo ket uppat katorse catorce
15 sangapulo ket lima kinse quince
16 sangapulo ket innem diesisais diez y seis, dieciséis
17 sangapulo ket pito diesisiete diez y siete, diecisiete
18 sangapulo ket walo diesiotso diez y ocho, dieciocho
19 sangapulo ket siam diesinuebe diez y nueve, diecinueve
20 duapulo[1] beinte veinte
21 duapulo ket maysa beintiuno veinte y uno, veintiúno
30 tallopulo treinta treinta
31 tallopulo ket maysa treinta y uno treinta y uno
40 uppat a pulo kuarenta cuarenta
50 limapulo singkuenta cincuenta
60 innem a pulo sesenta sesenta
70 pitopulo setenta setenta
80 walopulo otsenta ochenta
90 siam a pulo nobenta noventa
100 sangagasut,[2][3] gasut sien,[4] siento cien,[4] ciento
101 sangagasut ket maysa siento y uno ciento y uno
200 duagasut dosientos doscientos
300 tallogasut tresientos trescientos
400 uppat a gasut kuatrosientos cuatrocientos
500[5] limagasut kinientos quinientos
600 innem a gasut saisientos seiscientos
700 pitogasut setesientos setecientos
800 walogasut otsosientos ochocientos
900 siam a gasut nobesientos novecientos
1,000 sangaribo,[2][6] ribo mil mil
2,000 duaribo dos mil dos mil
5,000 limaribo singko mil cinco mil
10,000 sangalaksa,[2][7] sangapulo nga ribo dies mil diez mil
100,000 sangagasut a ribo sien mil cien mil
1,000,000 sangariwriw[2][8] milion millón

Numbers are connected to their nouns using the ligature a/nga.

maysa a botelia one bottle
innem a riwriw a tao six million people

Ordinal edit

To form the ordinal number (second, third, etc.), except for first, maika- is prefixed to the cardinal form. Note the exceptional forms for third, fourth and sixth. In some cases, Ilocano speakers tend to use Spanish ordinal numbers, especial in first, second, and third (primero/a, segundo/a, tersero/a).

Cardinal Ordinal Gloss
maysa umuna (past: immuna) first
dua maikadua second
tallo maikatlo third
uppat maikapat fourth
lima maikalima fifth
innem maikanem sixth
pito maikapito seventh
walo maikawalo eighth
siam maikasiam ninth
sangapulo maikasangapulo tenth

Aggregate edit

With the group numbers (pulo, gasut, ribo, laksa and riwriw), infixing in indicates division.

Unit Gloss Aggregate Gloss
pulo ten pinullo by the tens, by the decade
gasut hundred ginasut by the hundreds
ribo thousand rinibo by the thousands
laksa ten thousand linaksa by the ten-thousands, by the myriad
riwriw million riniwriw by the millions

Aggregate numbers have already been introduced: sangapulo, sangaribo, etc. Each is prefixed with sanga-. To form other groups, other numbers, and units of length, time or capacity can be used with sanga-. The alternate form is sangka-.

Unit Gloss Aggregate Gloss
pulo ten sangapulo ten
lima five sangalima a group of five
igup swallow sangaigup a gulp
iwa slice sangaiwa a slice of
lamut in mouth sangalamut mouthful

Distributive edit

Distributives are formed by prefixing sag- plus reduplication of the first CV (light reduplication) of the cardinal form or the unit. Distributives express so many each, so many a piece. Note the irregular forms for one each, three each, four each and six each.

Cardinal Distributive Gloss
maysa saggaysa one each, a piece
dua sagdudua two each, a piece
tallo saggatlo three each, a piece
uppat sagpapat four each, a piece
lima saglilima five each, a piece
innem sagninem six each, a piece
pito sagpipito seven each, a piece
walo sagwawalo eight each, a piece
mano sagmamano how many/much each, a piece
doliar sagdodoliar a dollar each, a piece
Saggatlokami. We take three each.
Sagdodoliarda. They are one dollar each.

When used with pami(n)-, sagpami(n)-, the result is a distributive multiplicative: so many times each.

Sagpaminduakami a napan a nabuya diay sine. We each saw the movie twice.

Indefinite edit

Indefinite numbers are formed by prefixing sumag- and CV reduplication of the first syllable of the cardinal form. In addition, to the cardinal numbers, sumag- can be used with the interrogative mano How much/many?.

Cardinal Indefinite Gloss
dua sumagdudua about two
tallo sumaggatlo about three
uppat sumagpapat about four
mano sumagmamano about how much/many

Limitative edit

Limitatives express no more, no less than what the root number or aggregate specifies. It is formed by reduplicating the CVC (heavy reduplication) of the first syllable of the cardinal number or root form. sanga-/sangka- may be reduplicated, sangsanga-/sangsangka-, also to express limitation.

Cardinal Limitative Gloss
maysa maymaysa only one
dua dudua only two
tallo taltallo only three
uppat up-uppat only four
sangaigup sangsangaigup only one gulp
Sangsangaigup ti nainumko I drank one gulp.

Multiplicative edit

These adverbial numbers are formed by prefixing mami(n)- to the cardinal form. Note the forms for once, twice, three times/thrice. Perfect form: nami(n)-. There are cases when the word beses (from Sp. veces) replaces mami(n)- and nami(n)- prefixes (maysa beses, dua (nga) beses, etc.)

Cardinal Multiplicative Gloss
maysa maminsan once
dua mamindua two times, twice
tallo mamitlo three times, thrice
uppat mamimpat four times
lima maminlima five times
adu mamin-adu often, many times
Maminduakanto a mapan. You will go twice.
Mamimpitok a nabuya. I've watched it seven times.

The multiplicatives can be limited by maminpi-/mamipin- (Perf: naminpi-/namipin-).

Cardinal Limited Multiplicative Gloss
maysa maminpinsan only once
dua maminpindua only two times, twice
tallo maminpitlo only three times, thrice
uppat maminpimpat only four times
lima maminpinlima only five times

The multiplicatives can be made ordinal with kapami(n)-. The resulting form is treated as a nominal and takes ergative agents.

Cardinal Limited Multiplicative Gloss
maysa kapaminsan only time
dua kapamindua second time
tallo kapamitlo third time
uppat kapamimpat fourth time
lima kapaminlima fifth time
Kapaminlimana ti agbuya iti dayta a pelikula.
This is her fifth time to see that film.

Nakapamin- prefixed to numbers behaves as an adverb.

Nakapaminduana nga agpadawat iti kuarta.
He solicited twice for money.

Fractional edit

The denominator in fractions is prefixed by pagka-. Numbers such as sangapulo ten, sangagasut hundred, etc. drop the sanga- prefix before taking the prefix.

Cardinal Denominator Gloss
tallo pagkatlo third
innem pagkanem sixth
sangagasut pagkagasut hundredth
maysa a pagkatlo one third
lima a pagkagasut 5 percent

Divisional edit

Divisional numbers are formed by prefixing agka- and denote into how many parts something is divided. The perfective is nagka-.

Agkawalonto ti "apple pie". The apple pie will be divided into eight (pieces).
Nagkawalo ti "apple pie". The apple pie was divided into eight (pieces).

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Literally ten is one group of ten and twenty is two tens, etc.
  2. ^ a b c d e The numbers ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand and one million begin with sanga- a group of. Multiples above that do not and are treated like units; for example, dua a riwriw two million, NOT *dua a sangariwriw.
  3. ^ Similar to the tens, sangagasut is literally one group of a hundred, etc.
  4. ^ a b Cien and Sien are used when only when meaning exactly 100. Ciento and Siento are used in conjunction with 101 and above.
  5. ^ Five hundred is added here because of its exceptional formation in Spanish.
  6. ^ Root: ribo; 2 000 is dua a ribo, etc. Note the explicit use of the ligature a
  7. ^ Root: laksa. Twenty thousand is dua a laksa, lit. two ten thousands.
  8. ^ Root: riwriw