Here is how to count in Aja, from 1 to 1,000, with 23 numbers checked against reference sources (Ajagbe of Benin). Learn the first ten first: almost all the others are built from them.
1
From 0 to 10
èɖéalso: ɖeka, eɖeone (1)
àmɛ̀vèalso: eve, amɛvetwo (2)
àmɛ̀tɔ̀nalso: etɔn, amɛtɔnthree (3)
àmɛ́nɛ́also: enɛ, amɛnɛfour (4)
àmátɔ̀nalso: atɔn, amatɔnfive (5)
àmádínalso: adɛn, amadɛnsix (6)
àmádréalso: adrɛ, amadrɛseven (7)
àmɛ́nyíalso: enyi, amɛnyieight (8)
àmáshíɖèkèalso: nyiɖe, amashiɖekɛnine (9)
àmɛ́wóalso: ewo, amɛwoten (10)
2
From 11 to 19
wiɖekaeleven (11)
wivetwelve (12)
witɔnthirteen (13)
winɛfourteen (14)
wiatɔnfifteen (15)
3
Tens, hundreds, thousands
èwìalso: ewitwenty (20)
egbanthirty (30)
ekaforty (40)
eka howofifty (50)
kaveeighty (80)
èkà èvè xò èwìone hundred (100)
kave howione hundred (100)
kotokunone thousand (1000)
Test yourself
1. What does “àmɛ̀vè” mean?
2. What does “àmádré” mean?
3. What does “wive” mean?
4. What does “egban” mean?
Where do these words come from?
The words in this article come from: A Grammar of Ajagbe (M. Morley, 2011), Lire et écrire l’ajagbe guide (SIL Benin, 2007). They are copied with their exact spelling; when two sources disagree, the variant is shown. Do you speak this language and spot a mistake? Write to us.
The words in this article come from: A Grammar of Ajagbe (M. Morley, 2011), Lire et écrire l’ajagbe guide (SIL Benin, 2007). They are copied with their exact spelling; when two sources disagree, the variant is shown. Do you speak this language and spot a mistake? Write to us.