Counting in Tanii... Apatani numeral system 2

In a previous post an attempt was made to introduce the numeral system when counting abstractly, without a particular object in view. Here numbers will be considered when they are used for quantifying things, objects or animate beings. We have tried our best to organize this post in a comprehensible manner. We're not quite sure of the result however, so “please dear Tanii readers”, don’t hesitate to point out confusions or mistakes.

In Tanii the numeral always follows the noun (whereas in Hindi or English it usually precedes the noun).

As a rule it is not possible simply to associate a numeral with a noun, as we do for eg. in English when we say “two cars”, “three bottles”. An appropriate compound form is required.
[There are very few exceptions where the noun can be followed directly by the numeral, eg. miyu kone (1 person, literally 'human/person-one'), ganda anye (2 places, lit. place-two) etc.]

How is this compounding form constructed ?

Here there are 2 possibilities :

- 1°) REDUPLICATION : the second syllable of the noun is reduplicated, and followed by the numeral (contracted form, see previous post).

Examples :

prefix	root	reduplicated root	numeral (compound form)
a-	ki	ki	-he/-ye	aki kihe/kiye (one dog)
pii-	ha	ha	-nye	piiha hanye (two baskets)
pa-	chu	chu	-hinhe	pachu chuhinhe (three chicken)
a-	lo	lo	-khii	alo lokhii (six days)

See for eg. the way dogs are counted in Tanii :

a-ki	ki-	he/ye	1 dog
a-ki .	ki-	nye	2 dogs
a-ki	ki-	hinhe .	3 dogs
a-ki	ki-	phe/pe	4 dogs
a-ki	ki-	ngo	5 dogs
a-ki	ki-	khe	6 dogs
a-ki	ki-	kanuhe (or kukanuhe)	7 dogs
a-ki	ki-	pinye	8 dogs
a-ki	ki-	kowahe (or kukowahe) .(o(r ki	9 dogs
a-ki	ki-	lyanhe	10 dogs

- 2°) CLASSIFIER : in place of the reduplicated syllable, a monosyllabic word called "classifier" or "measure word" is inserted. The classifier follows the noun, and in turn is followed by the numeral. The selection of a particular classifier depends of the type of object considered, its shape, size, etc., as will be explained below.

Examples :

prefix	root	classifier	numeral (compound form)
ta-	bu	so	-he	tabu sohe (one snake)
a-	la	bu	-nye	ala bunye (two hands)
su-	bu	dor	-phe	subu dorphe (four mithuns)

These two constructions are exclusive. If a classifier is required, then it is not convenient to resort to reduplication. Reciprocally where replication is expected the use of a classifier becomes inappropriate. But the use of one of these two compounding forms is mandatory for counting ALL things or objects (except very few cases).

There are also 2 ways for counting in reference to a particular object, which slightly differ. The first one is used in enumeration only, for eg. when someones is mentally counting an object : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7... and so on. The second one is used in the general case, i.e. each time the numeral indicates a number of objects, or a number of units, especially in compouding forms using reduplicated roots or classifiers. The main difference between the two lies in the presence or absence of a suffixe (-he or -e) added to the numeral.

Thus, for counting humans :

	Enumeration only .	Specifying a number of objects or units
1 . .	kun	ako/ kone
2	anyi	anye
3	hing	hinhe
4	piilyi	piilye
5	yango	yangohe
6	khii	khiihe
7	kanu	kanuhe
8	pinyi	pinye
9	kowa	kowahe
10	alyan	alyanhe

Or for counting rupees (tiiko, using the classifier bar-) :

	Enumeration only .	Specifying a number of objects or units
1 . .	barkun	bare
2	barnyi	barnye
3	barhin	barhinghe
4	barpi	barphe
5	barngo	barngohe
6	barkhii	barkhe
7	barkanu	barkanuhe
8	barpinyi	barpinye
9	barkowa	barkowahe
10	barlyan	barlyanhe

Now let's have a closer look at the classifiers. Tanii, like all the languages of the Tani group, possesses a large inventory of classifiers. Classifiers never appear alone, but always associated to a number or a root of a noun. Similarly numbers rarely appear without being attached to a classifier or a root.

1°) Core classifiers :

	Classifier	Type of objects	Examples
1	BAR	1. round and flat objects; 2. months (in Tanii the same word, piilo, is used for denoting the 'moon' and the 'lunar month'; since the moon is considered as a round and flat object, so is the month)	tiiko bare = 1 rupee kiidi barnye = 2 plots of land
2	BU	1 long cylindrical objects (eg. legs, trees, sticks, pillars, beams, bamboo stems, fingers, etc.); 2. hands; 3. spherical objects of rather big size, eg.	bije buhe = 1 piece or stem of bamboo ala bunye = 2 hands sanii buhinhe = 3 trees lachi bungohe = 5 fingers
3	BYA	flowers, roads	lena byaye (byahe) = 1 road apu byanye = 2 flowers
4	BYAR	clothes	tarii byarnye = 2 shirts
5	CHAN	pots, pans, kitchen ustensils	change = 1 pan
6	DOR	four legged animals, four wheel vehicles	subu dore = 1 mithun gari dornye = 2 cars
7	GAR	paddy fields	aji gare = 1 paddy-field
8	GO	mouths, words	agun gonye = 2 mouths, 2 words
9	HA	steps (of ladders, staircases, etc.)	haka hahe = 1 step
10	KO	bowls, bangles	paka konye = 2 bowls chanko kohe = one pan
11	LYO	types, kinds, varieties	agun lyohe/lyoye = 2 types of languages
12	NGO	bamboo groves, gardens	bije ngonye = 2 bamboo groves
13	PEN	1. houses: 2. verses of ayu (traditional song)	ude penge : 1 house
14	PO	1. cylindrical objects, 2. yarns, threads, 3. tasks to be performed	hapo pohe/poye = 1 bucket tano ponye = 2 yarns bottle pohinhe = 3 bottles
15	PU	spherical objects (of rather medium size, eg. fruits)	tiinga punye = 2 lemons
16	PYAR	1. small round objects (beads, particles of soil, etc.); 2. plots of land	tasang pyarhinghe = 3 beads
17	RON	seasons, generations, doses, time, fold, etc.	diitun ronge = 1 dose ronye = twice myodu romphe = 4 seasons
18	SO	elongated and slender things	dimu soye = 1 hair ngihi sonye = 2 fishes tabu sohinhe = 3 snakes taru sophe = 4 ropes
19	TA	flat and thin objects, materials : papers, etc.	yanii tahe/taye = 1 leaf pota tanye = 2 sheets of paper kheta (kitab) tangohe = 5 books
20	U	1. times (as number of actions performed at one given occasion); 2. holes (in a cloth)	ubu unye = 2 holes (in a cloth)

Note the irregularity of the construction for ‘one’, which varies according to the classifier :

BYA, CHAN, GO, RON	BAR, BYAR, DOR, GAR, PYAR	BU, KO, PO, PU, SO, TA
byange change gonge penge ronge	bare byare dore gare pyare	buhe/ buye kohe/ koye pohe/poye puhe/puye sohe/soye tahe/taye

Other numerals are regular.

2°) Others

In addition to these clore classifiers, there are other sets of "measure words" that are used for counting in the very much same way as classifiers, although the range of application for each is usually much more limited. These are words denoting : 1. Quantities from containers; 2. Collections or arrangements of objects; 3. Measures (of space, time, weight, etc.).

a) containers

These can be called ‘containers classifiers’. Originally they are nouns denoting types of containers, whose second syllable serves to quantify units of amount that they hold. For example TUR, from turla (mug) is used to count small volumes of water or beer contained in small receptacles (mugs, cups, ...).

Classifier	Original noun	Objects counted	Example
DU	sudu = bamboo container	liquid units contained in various types of bamboo containers
GII	yagii = basket	traditional units for evaluating yields of paddy-fields (eq. to about 35 kgs)	yagii giihe/giiye = 1 basket unit
KU	paku = plate	plates (as quantities)	paku kunye = 2 plates
JU	yaju = rice or millet beer ladle	measures of liquid contained in one ladle (yaju)	o juhinhe = 3 ladles of beer
PAR	yaper = mortar	measures of flour/paste contained in one mortar (yaper)	pare = 1 mortar (as quantity)
TUR	turla = mug	measures of liquid contained in one mug (turla) or cup	ture = one (mug, cup, etc.)

Again, note the irregular forms for 'one' : ture, change, duhe/duye

Note also the difference between :

• punyu sohinhe : 3 spoons counted as collection of objects
• punyu nyuhinhe : 3 spoons counted as quantities = 3 spoonfuls

b) collections, arrangements

These are used to denote collections of one particular arrangement of the same object.

Classifier	Original noun	Collection/Arrangement type	Example
HOR	horto (tano horto = yarn thread)	sheaves/bundles of thread	tano hornye = two sheaves of thread
KHO	yakho = small stick	sticks	yakho khohe/khoye = one stick
NGA	anga = sheaf	bundles, sheaves	apu ngaye = 1 bundle of flowers
PYU	unknown	bunches (eg. of keys)	sabe pyunge = 1 bunch/bundle of keys
RA	yara = cane basket made used by males for fetching firewood	bundles (esp. of firewood)	yasan rahinghe = 3 bundles of firewood
RII	(bije) arii = meaning unknown	bundles (esp. of bamboo)	bije riihe/riiye = one bundle of bamboos
TO	unknown	team, flock, group	piita tonge = a flock of birds
YOR	possibly yorgan = mountain range or ridge	row (eg. fences)	yorgan yore = one mountain range narun yornye = two rows of bamboo fence

c) measures

These are words expressing various units of length, size, weight, time... A few examples are given below :

Classifier	Original noun	Unit	Example
DA	possibly dalin = to walk (out)	steps	dahe/daye = one step (by walking)
I	possibly iche = night gap	nights	inye = 2 nights
LO	alo = day	days	lohinhe = 3 days
TU	turla = bamboo mug	turla (which contains approximately one liter and is taken as a rough measure for one kilogram	tuhe, tungo = 1kg, 5 kgs

Adjectives indicating big/small, wide/narrow, large, etc. can also be expressed by means of classifiers. In place of a numeral, a classifier can be followed by two adjectives only, –ro and –nyo. –ro can be roughly considered as meaning “big/large” in terms of size, volume or quantity, and –nyo, which is the antonym, as small, also in terms of in terms of size, volume or quantity. But being combined with classifiers, their specific meaning depends in fact of the category considered. Thus buro which applies to spherical objects means ‘big’. But soro applying to long, slender objects means ‘long’, and taro applying to flat and thin objects means wide.

Similarly, bunyo means ‘small’, sonyo ‘short’, and tanyo when applied to certain objects can mean 'narrow', eg. lena tanyo = narrow road (as opposed to lena taro = large/wide road).

Similarly, note the difference between :

• Tabu soro doke : the snake is long
• Tabu buro doke : the snake is big
  

PB & NPR

Apatani language