Numbers

In this post I will talk about numbers. Dega uses a base-12 numeral system meaning it has 12 single digit numbers including 0; we use a base 10. In Dega instead of having words like twenty-four to show that the number is 2 tens and four ones words build up by taking the word for the number of 1's and sticking the first two letters of the word for the 12's onto the front and the same for the 144's and so on making a syllable for each number-place; for example thirty-four in base-12 (forty in base-10) is midet mi is from min—which means 3—turns into mi because it is not in the 1's place, but is stuck onto det—which means 4—is kept the same because it is in the 1's place. Treat the nouns given as adjectives with no neutral, comparative or superlative although no positive prefix is necessary; use the negative prefix to denote a number negative. If numbers need to be used as nouns just add the "-i" of the first declension nouns.

     From 0 to 12 in Dāgo is:

tak - 0

rom - 1

zor - 2

men - 3

det - 4

dast - 5

gal - 6

tul - 7

kat - 8

sut - 9

kur - 10

kit - 11

rotak - 12 (rom-m+tak=rotak)

     Since we are talking about numbers we might as well talk over simple math terms. Certain prepositions are used for the simpler math terms (i.e. plus, minus, times, divide).

gu - before/beside/with/plus +

do - outside/away/from/minus -

zu - to/at/divided by /

os - genitive suffix/times *

Words to learn:

tak - 0

rom - 1

zor - 2

min - 3

det - 4

dast - 5

gal - 6

tul - 7

kat - 8

sut - 9

kur - 10

kit - 11

rotak - 12

gu - before/beside/with/plus +

do - outside/away/from/minus -

zu - to/at/divided by /

os - genitive suffix/times *

raŋi - number (if plural this can be "numeral system")

ra- - prefix. this/that (like the question prefix not as in this/that thing specifically, but can be used that way with that particular noun. often used with: place (here/there), time (then/hen?), person (him/her), thing (that/this), reason, way, or others, depending on what you want to say.)

dot - used right before a "ra-" word to denote specifically that over there. derived from "do" - away

tata - time period of about ten seconds

risi - time period of 12 tata like a minute

meŋi - time period of 12 risi like a hour

dorta - time period of 12 meŋi like a day

kami - time period of 12 dorta like a week

rata - time period of 12 kami like a year, but only 144 dorta

ri - during

Sample sentence:

Dolat ri kode arata tuzor

Dol-at           ri         kod-e                      a-rat-a                 tu-zor

live-PAST during person-MASC    PLUR-year-NOM/ACC  7 - 2

The man lived during 72 (86 in base-10) years.