Here is how to count in Bariba, from 1 to 1,000, with 25 numbers checked against reference sources (Baatonum of Benin). Learn the first ten first: almost all the others are built from them.
1
From 0 to 10
tiāalso: tíaone
yìrualso: ìrutwo
ìta / yìtaalso: ìtathree
ǹnɛfour
nɔ̀ɔbùalso: nɔɔbùfive
nɔ̀ɔbâ tiāalso: nɔɔbatíasix
nɔ̀ɔbá yìruseven
nɔ̀ɔbâ yìtaeight
nɔ̀ɔbâ ǹnɛnine
wɔkurualso: ɔkuruten
2
From 11 to 19
wɔkurá tiāeleven
wɔkurá yìrutwelve
wɔkurá ìtathirteen
wɔkurá ǹnɛfourteen
wɔkurá nɔ̀ɔbùfifteen
wɔkurá nɔ̀ɔbù kà tiāsixteen
wɔkurá nɔ̀ɔbù kà yìruseventeen
wɔkurá nɔ̀ɔbù kà ìtaeighteen
wɔkurá nɔ̀ɔbù kà ǹnɛnineteen
3
Tens, hundreds, thousands
yɛndutwenty
tɛ̀nāthirty
wèeruforty
wèera àkuru / wèeru kà wɔkurufifty
wùnɔbualso: nõnuone hundred
nɔ̀rɔbù / fɔ̀rɔ̀tɔ tiāone thousand
Test yourself
1. What does “yìru” mean?
2. What does “nɔ̀ɔbâ yìta” mean?
3. What does “wɔkurá ǹnɛ” mean?
4. What does “yɛndu” mean?
Where do these words come from?
The words in this article come from: Numeral Systems of the World’s Languages (E. Chan). 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: Numeral Systems of the World’s Languages (E. Chan). 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.