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According to Lounge,[1] the Yoruba language has a rather elaborate vigesimal (base-20) numeral system that involves both addition and subtraction and multiplication.
The base of the counting system is ogún 'twenty' (or 'score'). There are words for each of the decades; units in 1–4 are created by adding to these, while units in 5–9 are created by subtracting from the next decade. The odd decades are created by subtracting ten from the next even decade, as in Danish. Multiples are also very important in the numerical system for example the number 60 is ọgọ́ta which literally means three twenties (ogún = 20, ẹ̀ta = 3).
Up to 30, Yoruba has distinct forms of the numerals for counting objects, which derive from counting cowries.
Numeral
Objects*
Tens**
Fives and tens
Hundred
Hundreds
Thousands
Myriads
1
ení, ọ̀kan
oókàn
11
ọ̀kanlá, oókànlá
10+1
25
ẹ̀ẹ́dọ́gbọ̀n
30−5
110
àádọ́fà
20×6−10
210
ẹ̀wálélúɡba
200+10
1400
egbèje
200×7
8,000
ẹgbàarin
2000×4
2
èjì
eéjì
12
èjìlá, eéjìlá
10+2
30
ọgbọ̀n, ọɡbọ̀n ǒ
–
120
ọ(gọ́)fà
20×6
300
ọ̀ọ́dúrún, ọ̀ọ́dúnrún
400−100
1600
ẹgbẹ̀jọ
200×8
9,000
ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbàarùn-ún
2000×5−1000
3
ẹ̀ta
ẹẹ́ta
13
ẹ̀tàlá, ẹẹ́tàlá
10+3
35
aárùn-ún-dínlógójì
20×2−5
130
àádóje
20×7−10
400
irinwó
—
1800
ẹgbẹ̀sán
200×9
10,000
ẹgbàarùn-ún
2000×5
4
ẹ̀rin
ẹẹ́rin
14
ẹ̀rìnlá, ẹẹ́rìnlá
10+4
40
ogójì › ojì
20×2
140
o(gó)je
20×7
500
ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀ta
200×3−100
2,000
ẹgbẹ̀wá ~ ẹgbàá
200×10
16,000
ẹgbàajọ
2000×8
5
àrún
aárùn-ún
15
ẹ̀ẹ́dógún***
20−5
50
àádọ́ta
20×3−10
150
àádọ́jọ
20×8−10
600
ẹgbẹ̀ta
200×3
2,200
ẹgbọ̀kànlá
200×11
20,000
ẹgbàawàá; ọ̀kẹ́ kan
2000×10; 1 bag
6
ẹ̀fà
ẹẹ́fà
16
ẹ̀rìndínlógún, ẹẹ́rìndínlógún
20−4
60
ọgọ́ta › ọta
20×3
160
ọ(gọ́)jọ
20×8
700
ọ̀ọ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin › ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rin
200×4−100
3,000
ẹgbẹ̀ẹ́dógún; ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàajì
200×15; 2000x2-1000
100,000
ọ̀kẹ́ márùn-ún
5 bags
7
èje
eéje
17
ẹ̀tàdínlógún, ẹẹ́tàdínlógún
20−3
70
àádọ́rin
20×4−10
170
àádọ́sàn-án
20×9−10
800
ẹgbẹ̀rin
200×4
4,000
ẹgbàajì
2000×2
1,000,000
àádọ́ta ọkẹ́; ẹgbẹẹgbẹ̀rún
50 bags; 1000×1000
8
ẹ̀jọ
ẹẹ́jọ
18
èjìdínlógún, eéjìdínlógún
20−2
80
ọgọ́rin › ọrin
20×4
180
ọ(gọ́)sàn-án
20×9
900
ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbẹ̀rún
200×5−100
5,000
ẹgbẹ̀ẹ́dọ́gbọ̀n; ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́gbàata
200×25; 2000x3-1000
2,000,000
ọgọ́rùn-ún ọ̀kẹ́, ọrún ọ̀kẹ́
100 bags
9
ẹ̀sán
ẹẹ́sàn-án
19
ọ̀kàndínlógún, oókàndínlógún
20−1
90
àádọ́rùn-ún
20×5−10
190
ẹ̀wádínlúɡba, àádọ́wàá
200−10
1000
ẹgbẹ̀rún
200×5
6,000
ẹgbàata
2000×3
3,000,000
àádọ́jọ ọ̀kẹ́
150 bags
10
ẹ̀wá
ẹẹ́wàá
20
ogún, okòó
—
100
ọgọ́rùn-ún › ọrún
20×5
200
igba, igbéo
20x10
1200
ẹgbẹ̀fà
200×6
7,000
ẹ̀ẹ́dẹ́ɡbàarin
2000×4−1000
4,000,000
igba ọ̀kẹ́
200 bags
* Oókàn is a contraction of owó ọ̀kan 'one cowrie'; 2–10, 20, and 30 are analogous.
** Lá is a contraction of lé ẹ̀wá 'and ten'.
*** Ẹ̀ẹ́dógún is a contraction of aárùn-ún-dí(n)(l)ógún 'five from twenty'.
*** igbéo is a contraction of igba owó 'a heap of cowries'.
Ogún is the basic word for twenty, okòó the word when counting objects. For thirty, the forms are ọgbọ̀n and ọɡbọ̀n ǒ. Units apart from the fives are generally transparent: oókànlélógún 'twenty-one', eéjìdínlọ́ɡbọ̀n 'twenty-eight', etc. There are also more recent decimal forms for the thousands: 2,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún méjì 'thousand twice', 3,000 ẹgbẹ̀rún mẹ́ta 'thousand thrice', etc., as well as additive forms for the fives, due to the influence of English. Numbers higher than 20,000 also tend to be transparent: 40,000 is ẹgbàawàá lọ́nà méjì '20,000 two times'.
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