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Re: Numbers and math

From:DOUGLAS KOLLER <laokou@...>
Date:Friday, September 22, 2000, 0:24
From: "taliesin the storyteller"

> A classic question is: how do you count to ten in your conlang?
In Géarthnuns: 1 sír 2 punge 3 tou 4 sebut 5 palav 6 rhal 7 zhöshe 8 bés 9 ngareth 10 mnö
> - do you form ordinals from cardinals? how?
Ordinals are adjectives formed by adding a suffix, -fíb. the first book chí gefröls sírfíl the second book chí gefröls pungefíl the third book chí gefröls toufíl
> - do you have a zero?
Yes. 0 ngau
> - can numbers be negative?
I don't see why not, but I haven't dealt with this.
> - fractions? percentiles?
Another suffix. -aks if the number ends in a consonant, -baks if it ends in a vowel. 1/3 sü toubaks sírek, 5/6 sük toubaksüp palaveküp. Percent is read as a fraction (à la chinoise). 70% = 70/100 sük kashadaksüp sebutmnöküp
> - how do you add, subtract, multiply and divide? (if you know how)
2+2=4 Punge zhö punge la sebut nöi. two and two present-auz four be 5-3=2 Palav dau tou la punge nöi. five minus three pres-aux two be 8x2=16 Bés shte punge la mnö rhal nöi. eight "times"/multiplied-by two pres/aux ten six be 18÷2=9 Mnö bés vain punge la ngareth nöi. ten eight divided-by two pres-aux nine be
> - what about raising to the nth power and n-roots?
Haven't dealt with it. Kou