Focus on Sakun: The Number System

The Sakun number system is very large. The current documented system goes into the thousands. This indicates that there is an aspect of culture or the enviornment that has caused the Sakun people to count that high with enough regularity to adapt their language to include a concept that large (Harrison 189). 

The Sakun number system is a base 10 system. According to David Harrison, bases are grouping of numbers expressed collectively so that larger numbers can be expressed easily (Harrison 187). Sakun, like English, groups numbers by 10s, hence the base 10 system. The base 10 system allows for numbers like 83 to be expressed easily because instead of having to have a word for every single digit, digits 1-80 can be expressed with a single digit in the 10s place (83), which symbolizes 8 groups of 10. The remaining 3 digits that are left over are placed in the 1s place (83). When they are put together in the form 83, the two digits signifiy 8 groups of 10 plus three. 

The following number system is detailed on pages 91 and 92 of Michael Thomas's A Grammar of Sakun.

1-10

Number	Form in Sakun
1	twái
2	bák
3	mákən
4	fwáɗ
5	ɮám
6	mə́kwa
7	máɗáf
8	təkəz
9	məɬí
10	waŋ

It is important to note that while the number 10 is classified as a base, the numbers 1-9 are referred to by Thomas as "simple" numbers (a necessary distinction for the formation of more complex numbers). 

It is also important to note that zero is the beginning of the numerical system, but the language lacks a specific word for it. After much debate, the word tə́kwalkwal has been given to represent zero. However the literal translation of this word is not zero, but rather "having a round shape". 

11-19

For the numbers 11-19, each number begins with signifier for being a factor of ten (which is just the number 10 - waŋ). Next in the construction is the simple number. The last part of the construction is kə́^mbə, which indicates that the simple number is added onto ten. 

It is important to note that for numbers 11 and 12, the simple number changes. One goes from twái to tan and two goes from bák to dúk. This change is kept throughout the rest of the counting system. 

All together, the construction looks like this: waŋ tan kə́^mbə (11). The literal translation is "one added on to ten". 

20-29

The next group of numbers are the twenties. The construction of these numbers are the exact same as 11-19, however instead of ten the base for 20 is used. 20 in Sakun is sara sə́k. 

The construction of these numbers looks like this: sara sə́k tan kə́^mbə (21). The literal translation is "one added on to twenty". 

30 - 90

For the 30s-90s, the bases are constucted with the simple number with the last consonant in the word removed. They are followed by the multiplier pəsə́k. Put together, the bases look like: 

Number	Form in Sakun
30	mák pəsə́k
40	fwá pəsə́k
50	ɮá pəsə́k
60	mə́kwa pəsə́k
70	máɗá pəsə́k
80	tək pəsə́k
90	məɬí pəsə́k

Outside of the bases, the construction of these numbers are the same as they were for the 10s and 20s so that they look like:

Number	Form in Sakun
31	mák pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
41	fwá pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
51	ɮá pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
61	mə́kwa pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
71	máɗá pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
81	tək pəsə́k tan kə́mbə
91	məɬí pəsə́k tan kə́mbə

 

100-999

Adding another zero means adding another base, this time jumping by 100s instead of 10s. This new base is wasə́k, meaning 100. Like with the other bases, each new group of one hundred is represented by the signifier coming before the base. These numbers look like:

Number	Form in Sakun
200	dú wasə́k
300	mákən wasə́k
400	fwáɗ wasə́k
500	ɮám wasə́k
600	mə́kwa wasə́k
700	máɗáf wasə́k
800	təkəz wasə́k
900	məɬí wasə́k

Note that 200 does not use the simple number or the modified simple number for two. Instead, it uses a new form: dú.

As far as adding in the numbers between the bases, the normal number is just tacked onto the end. One adjustment is made with these numbers though. The simple numbers are seperated from the bases with the word ʃi, which means "follow".

The example Thomas gives of numbers between 100 and 999 looks like: wasə́k sarasə́k ʃí ɮám kə́^mbə (125). Based off of the information given in the grammar, I hypothesize the literal translation would be something like one hundred twenty followed by an addition of five.

1000-9999

As seen with the 100s, the 1000s also require a new base. This base is waŋ wasə́k, meaning "10 100s". For each new group of 1000 digits, the base changes by adding on a simple number after the base. These numbers look like:

Number	Form in Sakun
2000	waŋ wasə́k bák
3000	waŋ wasə́k mákən
4000	waŋ wasə́k fwáɗ
5000	waŋ wasə́k ɮám
6000	waŋ wasə́k mə́kwa
7000	waŋ wasə́k máɗáf
8000	waŋ wasə́k təkəz
9000	waŋ wasə́k məɬí

 

Note that for 2000, the actual simple number for two is used instead of either of the modified forms. 

An example of numbers between the bases is not given in Thomas's grammar, however I assume they would function much like the 100s. A possible example could potentially look like "waŋ wasə́k bák wasə́k sarasə́k ʃí ɮám kə́^mbə" (2,125).