Language name and locationː Chimila, Cesar depart, Colombia [Refer to Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 奇米拉语 (埃特语 Ette), 哥伦比亚北部加勒比海地区塞萨尔省, 瓜希拉省和马格达莱纳省 

1. tii^Ɂte

2. tii^Ɂmuʰna

3. tii^Ɂmaʰna

4. ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe

5. tii^Ɂteɟeemekenta, hatta ( hatta = 'hand' )

6. ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe tii^Ɂmuʰna,  tii^Ɂmuʰna muʰna muʰna

7. tii^Ɂteɟeemekenta,  ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe tii^Ɂmuʰna ɟeemekenta, tii^Ɂmuʰna muʰna muʰna
    ɟeemekenta

8. ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe, ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe, tii^Ɂmuʰna muʰna muʰna muʰna

9. tii^Ɂteɟeemekenta, ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe ᵐbrii^Ɂɟee^Ɂe tii^Ɂteɟeemekenta  

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. María Trillos Amaya, Centro Colombiano de

Estudios en Lenguas Aborígenas, Universidadd de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.

8 June, 1995. Dr. Juan Camilo Niño Vargas, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. November 6, 2009.

提供资料的语言学家: Dr. María Trillos Amaya. 1995 年 6 月 8 日.

Dr. Juan Camilo Niño Vargas, 2009 年 11 月 6 日.

Other comments: Chimila or Ette Ennaka, Ette Taara is an endangred language spoken by 350 speakers only out of 1,700 ethnic population in Cesar department: Valle du Par municipality; La Guajira department: La Jagua del Pilar and Urumita municipalities; Magdalena department: lowlands south and west of Fundación, Colombia.

In Chimila counting is associated with a process of categorization that implies the use of numeral classifiers. There are at least nine numeral classifiers employed to count 1. Humans and certain parts of the human body; 2. Concave objects; 3. Long objects; 4. Round objects; 5. Objects capable of containing other objects; 6. Flat objects; 7. Houses; 8. Plants; 9. Corncobs. The above numbers are used to count 'long objects'.  It includes the different expressions used to express the same quantity.

It seems that Chimila numerical system is ruled by a parity principle which grants greater importance to the odd or even quality of the groups counted than to the definition of an exact numerical base. Native speakers always use the same numerals

to count to five. Up to five several formulas are employed. If it is not mandatory to specify the quantity, as frequently happens, just the odd or even quality of the group being counted is marked. It is worth noting that the fourth numeral is employed to express even quantities and the fifth to indicate the odd ones. Often speakers use an expression for odd or even and, at the same time, they specify the exact number with their fingers.