Language name and location: Opo (Tʼa Po / Opuuo), Ethiopia, South Sudan [Refer to Ethnologue]

言名称和分布地区奥普语 (塔颇 Tʼapo / 奥普欧 Opuuo ), 埃塞俄比亚, 南苏丹  

 

Opo (Tʼa Po / Opuuo) Number Chart

Joshua A. G. Smolders

SIL International

 

The data given below shows two number systems for Opo (a.k.a. Tʼapo, Opuuo) [lgn], specifically from the Bilugu dialect of Ethiopia. The "Original System" below is used by the older generation who grew up uneducated and the "New System" used by the younger educated generation and is promoted in school. The original system clearly uses a base-5 / base-20 system built on the concepts of hand and body. For example, full hand amounts to 5, double hand amounts to 10, the body of one man amounts to 20, the body of two men to 40, and so forth. The concept of body here probably refers to the twenty digits of hands and feet.

 

In the New System, however, speakers have reinterpreted the body concept in a base-10 system. Thus, while still using hand for 5 and double hand for 10, they use the body of two men for 20, the body of three men for 30, and so forth. This is so that the number of bodies being spoken of corresponds with western written numerals 20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90.

 

Note also that the numbers 1 and 6 have contracted forms (shown in the "alternative" column), and that any complex number formed using these cardinal numbers may also employ the contraction. Thus, for example, 60 can be the uncontracted form /ēsɪ́bɪ̀kʰānɪ́ɗjān/ or the contracted form /ēsɪ́bɪ̀kʰánɗē/, though only the former is listed in the chart.

 

The element /kʰān/ in numbers 6-9 (and all subsequent complex numbers employing these) is here glossed 'five', but I am unsure of its actual meaning or etymology. It is possibly a greatly reduced form of /kʼʊ̄y-ɪ́n/ 'hand-3n.poss', but so far there is no evidence for this beyond speculation, and native speakers certainly no longer parse it as anything but 'five'.

 

This paper employs the following abbreviations for glosses: asc  'associative' (used to gloss the associative H tone, sometimes found with an epenthetic vowel /-ɪ́/), loc 'locative/source marker', 3n.poss 'third person neuter possessive', com 'comitative', sg.m 'singular masculine', pl 'plural', and ord 'ordinalizer'.

 

Finally, note three phonological phenomena occurring in these data. First, the plural participant nominalizing prefix /bɪ̀-/ and ordinalizer prefix /ɪ̄-/ will assimilate a [+ATR] feature before a root with a [+ATR,+high] vowel (e.g. */bɪ̀-mùtʰa̋/ à /bì-mùtʰa̋/). Second, the source prefix /à-/, which lexically bears a L tone, undergoes tonal leveling when occurring between two M tones (e.g. */kʼʊ̄j--sʊ̄kʼén/ à /kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén/). Third, the borrowed lexme /kʰúr/ 'hundred' takes an alternate stem /kʰɔ́r/ when higher than one-hundred (e.g. /kʰúr ɗjān/ 'one-hundred', but /kʰɔ́r sʊ̄kʼá/ 'two-hundred').

 

 

 

New System

(Alternative)

Original System

1

ɗjān

ɗēn ~ɗē

ɗjān

 

one

contraction

one

2

sʊ̄kʼá

 

sʊ̄kʼá

 

two

 

two

3

tùsù

 

tùsù

 

three

 

three

4

ʍàn

 

ʍàn

 

four

 

four

5

mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

be.full-hand

 

be.full-hand

6

kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

kʰán-ɗē

kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

 

five-asc-one

contraction

five-asc-one

7

kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

 

kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

 

five-asc-two

 

five-asc-two

8

kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

 

kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

 

five-asc-three

 

five-asc-three

9

kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

five-asc-four

 

five-asc-four

10

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss

11

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-ɗjān

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p ɗjān

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p ɗjān

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-one

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head one

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head one

12

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-sʊ̄kʼá

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p sʊ̄kʼá

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p sʊ̄kʼá

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-two

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head two

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head two

13

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ī-tùsù

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p tùsù

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p tùsù

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-three

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head three

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head three

14

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-ʍàn

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p ʍàn

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p ʍàn

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-four

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head four

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head four

15

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ī-mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-be.full-hand

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head be.full-hand

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head be.full-hand

16

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-five-asc-one

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-one

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-one

17

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-five-asc-two

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-two

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-two

18

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-five-asc-three

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-three

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-three

19

kʼʊ̄jāsʊ̄kʼén ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

kʼʊ̄jāsʊ̄kʼén kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

hand-loc-two:3n.poss com ord-five-asc-four

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-four

hand-loc-two:3n.poss have head five-asc-four

20

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá

 

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān

 

body-asc-pl-two

 

body-asc-sg.m-one

21

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-ɗjān

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p ɗjān

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p ɗjān

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-one

body-asc-pl-two have head one

body-asc-sg.m-one have head one

22

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-sʊ̄kʼá

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p sʊ̄kʼá

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p sʊ̄kʼá

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-two

body-asc-pl-two have head two

body-asc-sg.m-one have head two

23

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-tùsù

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p tùsù

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p tùsù

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-three

body-asc-pl-two have head three

body-asc-sg.m-one have head three

24

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-ʍàn

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p ʍàn

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p ʍàn

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-four

body-asc-pl-two have head four

body-asc-sg.m-one have head four

25

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-be.full-hand

body-asc-pl-two have head be.full-hand

body-asc-sg.m-one have head be.full-hand

26

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-five-asc-one

body-asc-pl-two have head five-asc-one

body-asc-sg.m-one have head five-asc-one

27

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-five-asc-two

body-asc-pl-two have head five-asc-two

body-asc-sg.m-one have head five-asc-two

28

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-five-asc-three

body-asc-pl-two have head five-asc-three

body-asc-sg.m-one have head five-asc-three

29

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá gʊ̄ ī-kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

body-asc-pl-two com ord-five-asc-four

body-asc-pl-two have head five-asc-four

body-asc-sg.m-one have head five-asc-four

30

ēs-ɪ́-bì-tùsù

 

ēs-ɪ́-ʊ̀-ɗjān mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

body-asc-pl-three

 

body-asc-sg.m-one com be.full-hand-loc-two:3n.poss

40

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-ʍàn

 

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá

 

body-asc-pl-four

 

body-asc-pl-two

50

ēs-ɪ́-bì-mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-sʊ̄kʼá mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

body-asc-pl-be.full-hand

 

body-asc-pl-two be.full-hand-loc-two:3n.poss

60

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-dʼyān

 

ēs-ɪ́-bì-tùsù

 

body-asc-pl-five-asc-one

 

body-asc-pl-three

70

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-sʊ̄kʼá

 

ēs-ɪ́-bì-tùsù mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

body-asc-pl-five-asc-two

 

body-asc-pl-three be.full-hand-loc-two:3n.poss

80

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-tùsù

 

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-ʍàn

 

body-asc-pl-five-asc-three

 

body-asc-pl-four

90

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-ʍàn mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j-ā-sʊ̄kʼén

 

body-asc-pl-five-asc-four

 

body-asc-pl-four be.full-hand-loc-two:3n.poss

100

kʰúr dʼjān (Nuer borrowing)

ɗɪ́bá dʼjān (Oromo borrowing)

ēs-ɪ́-bì-mùtʰa̋-kʼʊ̄j

 

hundred one

hundred one

body-asc-pl-be.full-hand

200

kʰɔ́r sʊ̄kʼá (Nuer borrowing)

ɗɪ́bá sʊ̄kʼá (Oromo borrowing)

no data

 

hundred two

hundred two

 

 

1000

kísí ɗjān

kàlkʼátʼí

no data

 

thousand one

thousand

 

2000

kísí sʊ̄kʼá

kàlkʼátʼí sʊ̄kʼá

no data

 

thousand two

thousand two

 

 

An example of a complex number:

 

369

kʰɔ́r tùsù ɡʊ̄ ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān ɡʊ̄ ɪ̄-kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

kʰɔ́r tùsù ɡʊ̄ ēs-ɪ́-bɪ̀-kʰān-ɪ́-ɗjān kòt kʼʊ́p kʰān-ɪ́-ʍàn

 

hundred three com body-asc-pl-five-asc-one com ord-five-asc-four

hundred three com body-asc-pl-five-asc-one have head five-asc-four

 

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Joshua A. G. Smolders, SIL International, Ethiopia, December 8, 2016, December 2, 2022.

供资料的语言学家: Mr. Joshua A. G. Smolders, 2016 年 12 月 8 日, 2022 年 12 月 2 日


Language name and location: Opuuo, Ethiopia, South Sudan [Refer to Ethnologue]

言名称和分布地区奥普欧 (希塔语 Shita), 埃塞俄比亚, 南苏丹

 

1. ɗán ~ ɗíán

21.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-ɗán

2. sùkʼá

22.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-sùkʼá

3. tùsú

23.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-tùsú

4. hwán  

24.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-hwán

5. mùtá-kʼʷèj  (litː 'one hand')

25.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-mùtá-kʼʷèj

6. kánè-ɗéé

26.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-ɗéé

7. kánè-sùkʼá

27.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-sùkʼá

8. kánè-tùsú

28.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-tùsú

9. kánè-hʷán

29.  ésì-wɗé-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-hʷán

10. mútá-kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén ('two hands')

30.  ésì-wɗé-mútá-kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén *

11. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-ɗán

40.  ésì-bí-sùkʼá (litː 'two men')

12. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-sùkʼá

50.  ésì-bí-sùkʼá-mútá-kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén

13. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-tùsú

60.  ésì-bí-tùsú  (litː 'three men')

14. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-hwán

70.  ésì-bí-tùsú-mútá-kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén

15. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-mùtá-kʼʷèj

80.  ésì-bí-hwán (litː 'four men')

16. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-ɗéé

90.  ésì-bí-hwán-mútá-kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén

17. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-sùkʼá

100. kór-dán

18. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-tùsú

200. kór-sùkʼá

19. kʼʷùjá-sùkʼén-kʼòtkʼóp-kánè-hʷán

1000. kísì

20. ésì-wɗé (litː 'one man')

2000. kísì-sùkʼá

 

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. Mellese Gelaneh Alemu, Department of Linguistics, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. October 23, 2012, April 28, 2013.

供资料的语言学家: Dr. Mellese Gelaneh Alemu, 2012 年 10 月 23 日, 2013 年 4 月 28 日.

 

Other comments: Opuuo is spoken by approximately 20,000 speakers in Gambela region: Sudan border area as well as South Sudan. Opuuo numeral system is similar to other Koman languages. Twenty is expressed by 'one man', thirty is 'one man and two hands', forty is 'two men', six is 'three men', eighty is 'four men'. 


Language name and location: Opuuo, Ethiopia, South Sudan [Refer to Ethnologue]

言名称和分布地区奥普欧(希塔语 Shita), 埃塞俄比亚, 南苏丹

 

1. diʃeɗe

21.   

2. ʃuka ~ cuka

22.  

3. tuʃu  ~ tusu

23.   

4. hwan ~ ŋwan 

24.   

5. mutaːkwei ('one hand')

25.  

6. kane-ɗe

26.  

7. kane-ʃuka

27.   

8. kane-tūʃū

28.   

9. kane-hwān

29.   

10. muta-kweya-ʃuka-yen ('two hands')

30.  mute-ʃu-ɗe muta-kweya-ʃuka-yen

11. kane-won-ɗe

40.  muteʃibi-ʃuka (20 x 2)

12. kane-won-ʃuka

50.  

13. kane-won-tuʃu

60.   

14. kane-won-hwan

70.  

15.

80.   

16.

90.  

17.

100. i-ʃibin-ta-kwei

18.

200. 

19.

1000. kuma-ɗe

20. mute-ʃu-ɗe

2000. 

 

Linguist providing data and dateː Prof. Marvin L. Bender, Southern Illinois University, USA, June 2, 1989.

供资料的语言学家: Prof. Marvin L. Bender, 1989 年 6 月 2 日.

 

Other comments: The Opuuo has a vigesimal system similar to other Koman languages.


 

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