Numbers in Nêlêmwa



Learn numbers in Nêlêmwa

Knowing numbers in Nêlêmwa is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Nêlêmwa. Learning to count in Nêlêmwa may appeal to you just as a simple curiosity or be something you really need. Perhaps you have planned a trip to a country where Nêlêmwa is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Nêlêmwa.

It's also useful for guiding you through street numbers. You'll be able to better understand the directions to places and everything expressed in numbers, such as the times when public transportation leaves. Can you think of more reasons to learn numbers in Nêlêmwa?

The kumak language (or fwa kumak) belongs to the Austronesian language family, and more specifically to the New Caledonian languages. Spoken on the main island of New Caledonia, in its North Province, it counts about 2,000 speakers. Kumak is composed of two main dialects: nêlêmwa, spoken in the Nénémas district by about one thousand speakers, and nixumwak, spoken in the Koumac region.Due to lack of data, we can only count accurately up to 100 in Nêlêmwa. Please contact me if you can help me counting up from that limit.

List of numbers in Nêlêmwa

Here is a list of numbers in Nêlêmwa. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Nêlêmwa from 1 to 20. We have also included the tens up to the number 100, so that you know how to count up to 100 in Nêlêmwa. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Nêlêmwa.

• 1) pwa-giik
• 2) pwa-du
• 3) pwa-gan
• 4) pwa-baak
• 5) pwa-nem
• 6) pwa-nem-giik
• 7) pwa-nem-du
• 8) pwa-nem-gan
• 9) pwa-nem-baak
• 10) tujic
• 11) tujic xa bwaat pwagiik
• 12) tujic xa bwaat pwadu
• 13) tujic xa bwaat pwagan
• 14) tujic xa bwaat pwabaak
• 15) tujic xa bwaat pwanem
• 16) tujic xa bwaat pwanemgiik
• 17) tujic xa bwaat pwanemdu
• 18) tujic xa bwaat pwanemgan
• 19) tujic xa bwaat pwanembaak
• 20) aaxi ak
• 30) aaxi ak xa bwaat tujic
• 40) aaru ak
• 50) aaru ak xa bwaat tujic
• 60) aaxan ak
• 70) aaxan ak xa bwaat tujic
• 80) aavaak ak
• 90) aavaak ak xa bwaat tujic
• 100) aanem ak

Numbers in Nêlêmwa: Nêlêmwa numbering rules

Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Nêlêmwa is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Nêlêmwa you will have to learn a series of rules that we will explain below. If you apply these rules you will soon find that you will be able to count in Nêlêmwa with ease.

The way numbers are formed in Nêlêmwa is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Nêlêmwa. Also, learning how to number in Nêlêmwa yourself from these simple rules is very beneficial for your brain, as it forces it to work and stay in shape. Working with numbers and a foreign language like Nêlêmwa at the same time is one of the best ways to train our little gray cells, so let's see what rules you need to apply to number in Nêlêmwa

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Digits from one to five are rendered by specific suffixes, and digits beyond five, from six to nine, are formed by suffixing the first four ones to five. The numeral system is thus quinary up to ten, and additive from six to nine. The suffixes from one to nine are: -(x)iik / -(g)iik / -(w)iik [1], -ru / -lu / -du [2], -gan / -xan [3], -baak / -vaak [4], -nem [5], -nem-giik [6] (5 plus 1), -nem-du [7] (5 plus 2), -nem-gan [8] (5 plus 3), and -nem-baak [9] (5 plus 4).
In order to ease the reading, we will use here the unspecified classifier pwa-. Thus, we have: pwa-giik [1], pwa-du [2], pwa-gan [3], pwa-baak [4], pwa-nem [5], pwa-nem-giik [6], pwa-nem-du [7], pwa-nem-gan [8], and pwa-nem-baak [9].

From ten up, numbers are not prefixed with a numerical classifier (only the compound digits are prefixed). Tens follow a vigesimal system: tujic [10], aaxi ak [20] (literally, one man), aaxi ak xa bwaat tujic [30] (20+10), aaru ak [40] (2x20, or two men), aaru ak xa bwaat tujic [50] (2x20 + 10), aaxan ak [60] (3x20, or three men), aaxan ak xa bwaat tujic [70] (3x20 + 10), aavaak ak [80] (4x20, or four men), and aavaak ak xa bwaat tujic [90] (4x20 + 10).

Compound numbers are formed by adding the digits to the ten with the conjunction xa (and, as well) and the word bwaa-t (on top, head, summit): tujic xa bwaat pwagiik [11], tujic xa bwaat pwadu [12], aaxi ak xa bwaat pwanem [25], aaxi ak xa bwaat tujic xa bwaat pwanemgan [38].

One hundred is aanem ak (literally, five men).

Nêlêmwa, Isabelle Bril (.pdf, in French)