Numbers in Gevey

Gevey uses numbers for two distinct purposes: to quantify objects and actions, and to identify an object's or action's place within a series or sequence.

Gevey numbers are a type of modifier, though they differ from the classical modifier use described in the Gevey modifiers webpage. There are five distinct uses of numbers in Gevey, each with their own way of doing things:

• The object cardinal numbers are used when quantifying an object or group of similar objects. Object cardinal numbers use the base numbers described below, following the object which they qualify. Unlike other modifiers though, object cardinal numbers do not take an infix and suffix to harmonise with their object. Rather, the object will harmonise with the number: 0 and 1 make the object singular; 2, 3 or 4 make the object paucal; all other numbers make the object plural.
• The action cardinal numbers quantify the number of times an action takes place. Here, the base number is combined with the appropriate completion verbal aspect - usually 'li' for regularly repeated actions, or 'lja' for irregularly repeated actions. The concatenated word is used just like any other verbal aspect, and goes before the verb being modified.
• The object ordinal numbers express the position of an object within a series of similar objects - for instance the first cat, the fourth book. In these cases, the number will follow the rules for using modifiers with objects - normally using the simple infix, but on occasion making use of the compliment infix when required.
• The action ordinal numbers highlight the position of an action within a series of similar actions - the first time, the second time. Here, the number takes the active modifier suffix and adapts its infix to match the conjugation type and tense of the verb it is modifying.
• Finally, numbers can be turned into nominalised numbers, which are used for portion control - the division of an object or group into portions or fractions. As in other nominalisations, the prefix 'trja(t)-' is added to the number root, which will then adopt the appropriate noun complex.

The following examples should help to explain the various uses of each of the number types:

Object cardinal numbers

• ơČĂ ƉČĆĽčĈ ƍďĉǂ ĴƏďĈŖČĀĚČĂ ŹČĈĖƏČĆĸČĉēŮ ĚČĂ
• je ʰɒ.nʌ ludz glu.fæ.te ʒʊ.blɒ.mʊps te
• ye ónue luudz gluufate xublomups te
• I saw one cat on the table
• ơČăĻ ĠœČĀŪčĈ ƍďĉǂ ĴƏďĈŖČĀĚČĂ ŹČĈĖƏČĆĸČĉēŮ ĚČĂ
• jem dɹæ.sʌ ludz glu.fæ.te ʒʊ.blɒ.mʊps te
• yem drjasue luudz gluufate xublomups te
• I saw two cats on the table
• ơČăŷ ŖČĄĽčĈ ƍďĉǂ ĴƏďĈŖČĀĚČĂ ŹČĈĖƏČĆĸČĉēŮ ĚČĂ
• jeʃ fɪ.nʌ ludz glu.fæ.te ʒʊ.blɒ.mʊps te
• yec finue luudz gluufate xublomups te
• I saw five cats on the table

Action cardinal numbers

• ơČĂ ƍďĉƽ ƍČĄśČąƐ ĴƏďĈŖČĀĚČĂ śĎĄőČĂƫČĂĽČĉƕŮ ĚČĂ
• je luts lɪ.vɪl glu.fæ.te vɪə.ɹe.zde.nʊɫs te
• ye luuts livil gluufate viirjezdenuljs te
• I saw the cat (regularly) four times yesterday
• ơČĂ ƍďĉƽ ƒČĀĠœČāŲ ĴƏďĈŖČĀĚČĂ śĎĄőČĂƫČĂĽČĉƕŮ ĚČĂ
• je luts ɫæ.dɹæz glu.fæ.te vɪə.ɹe.zde.nʊɫs te
• ye luuts ljadrjaz gluufate viirjezdenuljs te
• I saw the cat (irregularly) twice yesterday

Object ordinal numbers

• ƍďĈƺČĂ ĚČăŀ ĠœČĀŪčĈěƏČĂ ĚČĀĐČĈůČĀĚČĂ
• lu.tse ten dɹæ.sʌ.tle tæ.pʊ.zæ.te
• luutse ten drjasuetle tapuzate
• my cat was the second to arrive
• ƍčĊŖČĂ ĤČĈ ĕČĂŪČĄŹČĈ ĖƏČćĻ ƢČĀŪČĀĚČĂ
• lɔɪ.fe ʧʊ be.sɪ.ʒʊ blɒm ʲæ.sæ.te
• loife tcu besixu blom âsate
• the man sat at the third table

Action ordinal numbers

• ơČĂ ƍďĉƽ ĮČĀđƣČĀĚČĂ ĠœČĀŪČĀĚĎĂ ĚČĂ ƢČĀƍČăƆ ĚČĀƍčĊŖČăıŮ đƣČĄĸČĆĚČĂ ĮČąƤ
• je luts kæ.pjæ.te dɹæ.sæ.tɜ te ʲæ.leχ tæ.lɔɪ.feks pjɪ.mɒ.te kɪj
• ye luuts kapyate drjasatei te âleqj taloifeks pyimote kiy
• I gave the cat to the man the second time I caught it

Nominalised numbers

• ơČĈ ƍČąĶ ŌČĉĝ ơČĈ ƉČĆĽčĈ ěœČĀĕČăŭIJ ĤČĂ ƍčċř đƣČĄĸČĀĚČĂ ĚČĂ
• jʊ lɪg rʊt jʊ ʰɒ.nʌ tɹæ.besk ʧe lɔɪf pjɪ.mæ.te te
• yu lig rut yu ónue trjabesk tce loif pyimate te
• I gave one third of the gold to the man
• ơČĈ ĸčāƤ ŌČĉĝ ơČĉĻ ĠœČĀŪčĈ ěœČĀĕČăŭIJ ĤČĂ ŌĎĀŴČăĻ đƣČĄĸČĀĚČĂ ĚČĂ
• jʊ meɪj rʊt jʊm dɹæ.sʌ tɹæ.besk ʧe reə.ʃem pjɪ.mæ.te te
• yu maey rut yum drjasue trjabesk tce raicem pyimate te
• I gave two thirds of the rice to the goat

Number compounding

There are two suffixes - '-ki' and '-tci' - which are regularly added to the base numbers, which raise that number by a power of 1 (tens) and 2 (hundreds). These suffixes are combined - '-kitci' - to raise the number by a power of 3 (thousands).

Number compounding takes place in pairs, with thousands compounding with hundreds, and tens compounding with units. The larger number always goes first. These compounded numbers can then be linked by the special numerical coordinating conjunction 'he' - this normally happens when either half of the equation is not compounded.

For the thousands, the double suffix will break down when applied to a compound number - Gevey counts along the lines of ten hundred and fifty nine or thirty eight hundred and twenty six.

Some additional irregularities need to be watched for. When either 'áderue' or 'éspenue' occur as the second part of a compound number they will both drop their initial vowel; ónue and ínue, on the other hand, both gain an initial 'h'. Watch out for the syllable boundaries:

11	ó.ki.ho.nue	21	drja.ki.ho.nue
12	ó.ki.drja.sue	22	drja.ki.drja.sue
13	ó.ki.be.sue	23	drja.ki.be.sue
14	ó.ki.vi.lue	24	drja.ki.vi.lue
15	ó.ki.fi.nue	25	drja.ki.fi.nue
33	bes.ki.be.sue	45	vilj.ki.fi.nue
68	di.zgis.pe.nue	79	á.de.ki.hi.nue
81	és.pe.ki.ho.nue	97	ígj.kis.pe.nue
101	ó.tci - he - ó.nue	210	drja.tci - he - ó.ki
240	drja.tci - he - vilj.ki	378	bes.tci - he - áde.kis.pe.nue
539	fin.tci - he - bes.ki.hi.nue	723	á.de.tci - he - drja.ki.be.sue
815	és.pe.tci - he - ó.ki.fi.nue	1002	ó.ki.tci - he - drja.sue
2020	drja.ki.tci - he - drja.ki	3500	bes.ki.fin.tci
1964	ó.ki.hin.tci - diz.gi.vi.lue	2792	drja.ki.de.tci - ígj.ki.drja.sue
4851	vilj.kis.pe.tci - figj.ki.ho.nue	9999	ígj.ki.hin.tci - ígj.ki.hi.nue

There are seperate words for 10,000 'miljue' and for 100,000,000 'tastrje', which are placed after their portion of the number. So a number such as 53,612,804,719 (fifty three thousand, six hundred and twelve million, eight hundred and four thousand, seven hundred and nineteen) is rendered in Gevey as:

• ŪčĄŜƣČĈ, 536 1280 4719
• 536 1280 4719
• 536 tastrje 1280 miljue 4719
• fintci he beskidizue tastrje ókidrjatci he éspeki miljue viljkidetci ókihinue
• ŖČąŀĤČĄ ƈČĂ ĕČăŭĮČĄğČĄůčĈ ĚČāŭěœČĂ ƉČĆĮČĄĠœČĀĤČĄ ƈČĂ ƉČăŭĐČĂĮČĄ ĸČĄƒčĈ śČąƕĮČĄğČĂĤČĄ ƉČĆĮČĄƈČĄĽčĈ
• fɪn.ʧɪ he bes.kɪ.dɪ.zʌ tæs.tɹe ʰɒ.kɪ.dɹæ.ʧɪ he ʰes.pe.kɪ mɪ.ɫʌ vɪɫ.kɪ.de.ʧɪ ʰɒ.kɪ.hɪ.nʌ

There's no formal method of punctuating Gevey numbers. Large numbers will tend to be shown in blocks of 4 (as above), which may be separated by spaces, commas or dots. Decimal numbers may have a comma or a dot to show the floating point.

Base 8 counting in Gevey

Gevey is the major mercantile language of the eastern side of the continent of Ewlah. While most native speaking Gevey peoples count using base 10, the non-Gevey speaking populations with whom they trade extensively count using base 8. In fact, most trade outside the Gevey speaking (and the closely related Balhan speaking) centres will be conducted using base 8 arithmetic.

Rather than adapt the Gevey counting system to operate in base 8, merchants instead imported a ready made base 8 counting system spoken by Istran settlers on the eastern seaboard).

Never mix up these two counting systems. The base 8 counting system is used almost exclusively when quoting prices and the like, and will be included in a Gevey sentence as an interjection.

Base 8 counting systems only use 7 numbers, plus zero. In effect, they count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 ... 16, 17, 20, 21 ... 66, 67, 70, 71 ... 76, 77, 100, 101, etc.

The formation of numbers is entirely regular, with the following three points kept in mind:

• the number will always be followed by the particle 'dxi', a marker which shows that the word is a quantity value
• there are also two other number markers, used with larger values - 'dxadxi' is used for numbers between 1 0000 and 777 7777, and 'hedxi' is used for numbers at or above 1 0000 0000
• null particles are almost always omitted from the number

base 8	(base 10)	translation	base 8	(base 10)	translation
0	(0)	zodxi	1	(1)	bodxi
2	(2)	todxi	3	(3)	vodxi
4	(4)	codxi	5	(5)	godxi
6	(6)	lodxi	7	(7)	modxi
10	(8)	baedxi	11	(9)	baebodxi
12	(10)	baetodxi	13	(11)	baevodxi
14	(12)	baecodxi	15	(13)	baegodxi
16	(14)	baelodxi	17	(15)	baemodxi
20	(16)	taedxi	21	(17)	taebodxi
22	(18)	taetodxi	23	(19)	taevodxi
24	(20)	taecodxi	36	(30)	vaelodxi
50	(40)	gaedxi	62	(50)	laetodxi
74	(60)	maecodxi	106	(70)	baalodxi
120	(80)	baataedxi	132	(90)	baavaetodxi
144	(100)	baacaecodxi	145	(101)	baacaegodxi
173	(123)	baamaevodxi	1750	(1000)	boumaagaedxi
3654	(1964)	voulaagaecodxi	3721	(2001)	voumaataebodxi
1 0610	(4488)	bodxadxi laabaedxi	1 1610	(5000)	bodxadxi boulaabaedxi

For fractions, Gevey merchants will use Xj-âl-Y-ru-Z - for example 3 and a half becomes vodx-âl-bo-ru-todxi, while 5 and three eighths becomes godx-âl-vo-ru-zaedxi.

Why did the Gevey merchants adopt this system for trading? Quite simply, the people they wanted to trade with only used base 8 (they counted the spaces between the fingers) and were not willing to adapt their counting system to base 10. So, for trading purposes, Gevey is used for the pitch, and Ylstra-Bedin is used for the sale. Merchants are equally at home using both counting systems, and many are able to convert between base 10 and base 8 subconsciously. But when trading in the Gevey native areas, everyone reverts back to base 10 counting.