Numerals

The following table shows the building blocks of Medzorian numerals.

	basic	pair form	zero form
0	veda	-	-
1	echp	ichp	uch
2	ežg	ižg	ižug
3	ozb	uzb	abiz
4	ocht	ucht	achit
5	efk	ifk	uföč
6	azd	ezd	izud
7	ec	ic	utös
8	owg	uwg	avidž
9	omd	umd	amid

A numeral is formed by concatenating the building blocks expressing the ciffers from the most significant to the least significant and applying the below additional rules:

• After the last building block of a numeral, an -u suffix is added: 25 = ežgifku. If the numeral has more words (see below), only the last word takes the suffix. 163 = echpast uzbu. Veda doesn't take any preffix.

• If there is a pair of the same numerals in the number, the pair form is used: 113 = ichpuzbu, 8 995 = owgumd efku.

• If there is a string of zeroes in the numerals, they are expressed by the zero form of the numeral which describes the number of zeroes in the string: 1 000 = echpuzbu, 20 000 001 = ežgest echpu, 90 = omduchu.

• If there is a pair of ciffers which only differ by 1, the so called differential form of the first numeral is used. It is formed by adding an r- preffix to the first ciffer if the second ciffer is higher, and l- if the second ciffer is lower: 12 = rechpu, 547 = lefkicu.

• In longer numerals, a word boundary is inserted after each second building block: 1 758 = echpec efkowgu. The zero, pair and differential forms are each treated as single building block. The building blocks which are in the same word must agree in rounding harmony (37 = ozböcu) and consonants/consonant clusters before a word boundary get devoiced: (38 000 = ozbowk abizu).

• A comma is expressed using the word veda, which must stand alone: 12,5 = rechp veda efku. Please note a single zero in a numeral is expressed with chu, not veda.

• Ordinal numerals are formed by prolonging the first vowel of each word of the numeral (except veda). The suffix -u is replaced by the adjectival ending -vi: éžgivgvi - twenty fifth, échpec éfkowgvü - one thousand seven hundrer and fifty eighth.

Fractions are created with the z(i)- prefix, added to the first word of the ordinal numeral. The -wi suffix is replaced by -o:

zéžgo - half, zózbo - third, zóchto - fourth, zéfko - fifth, zázdo - sixth, zéco - seventh, zówgo - eighth, zómdo - ninth, zirózbo - thirty fourth, zówgast óchto - 1/864

Indefinite numerals work as cardinal numerals.

• u - many

• ú - more

• o - few

• ó - less

Question numerals: coku - how many (cardinal), cówika - which (ordinal).

Negative numeral: veda - none

Syntax of numerals

Cardinal, ordinal and fractional numerals work as adjectives in a sentence, i.e., the numeral must get the same suffix as the noun.

With cardinal numerals, the noun is always in singular (and the verb too, if its the subject):

Mevne echpuzbuže rargvo. A thousand men are fighting.

Mevne ože rargvo. A few men are fighting.

Černka óchtüfkuka ibřa. I have 435 books.

Černka uka ibřa. I have many books.

Černka zurka úka ibřa. I have more books than the king.

Černka vedaka ibřa. I have no books.

Černka cokuka biřa? How many books do you have?

With ordinals and fractions, the noun must be in the highlighted form:

Ûň ahruzmü éhubümü. It is the first win. (échp + wi -> *éhbwi -> *éhwbi -> éhubü)

Ánka úhdvüka bibrvo. We have a third child.

Ungmaka zéžgoka ibřa. I have a half of bread.

Rovat a zéchpižugože raskša. Only one hundredth people understand it.

Please note the position of a - "only" before the numeral.