Palauan Numbers
The following is a brief set of notes for Palauan number words. For a longer
exploration, please refer to Chapter 24 in the Joseph Grammar Book.
Another reference is a set of slides prepared by Asa Timarong and Jay Watanabe for a 2012 presentation.
Palauan has different words for different numbers depending on what is being counted.
For example, there are different words for the number three depending on where it refers
to humans, or animals, or units of time, or long objects, or bunches of bananas, or rafts of logs tied
together. Also, there is a separate word for the number three for when someone is
counting as for example a child might do while jumping rope. Finally, there are
separate words for numbers when they are used to indicate relative order corresponding
to the English words first, second, third. Note that many contemporary Palauans no
longer use all of the unique numbers; for example, the number words unique for bunches
of bananas, long objects, rafts of logs tied together are typically not used, instead, most
contemporary Palauan speakers use the set of numbers reserved more generally for
non-living things.
Although this is complicated, there are some simplifications. The first is that the
unique numbers, depending on what is being referred to, do not go above ten. Above
ten, there is just a single set of numbers. A second simplification is that most of
the number words share a common stem. For example, the common stem for the 'two' words
is '-ru.' The words for humans and units of time are the same except that humans has
a 't' in front. Here is a table of the common stems:
| 2, -ru | 6, -lolem |
| 3, -de | 7, -uid |
| 4, -ua | 8, -ai |
| 5, -im | 9, -tiu |
A final simplification is that the multiples of ten between 20 and 100 basically add a 'ok' prefix to the above stems in such a way that the
'ok' prefix has the meaning of multiplying the stem by ten. For example, 'okai' is 'ok' plus '-ai' resulting in 80 (10 times 8).
Without further ado, here are the numbers used for humans, units of time, animals and non-living things, long objects, bunches of bananas, and rafts of logs tied together.
Notice that 1-3 have unique forms for each, but beyond that they begin to converge. From 20 onward, they are all the same.
| Humans | Units of
Time | Animal
Objects | Long
Objects | Bunches of
bananas | Rafts |
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6 |
| 7 |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 10 |
| 20 |
| 30 |
| 40 |
| 50 |
| 60 |
| 70 |
| 80 |
| 90 |
| 100 |
| 1000 |
| 10000 |
| | ta |
| teru |
| tede |
| teua |
| teim |
| telolem |
| teuid |
| teai |
| tetiu |
| teruich |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
| | ta |
| eru |
| ede |
| eua |
| eim |
| elolem |
| euid |
| eai |
| etiu |
| teruich |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
| | chimo |
| teblo |
| klde |
| kloa |
| kleim |
| kllolem |
| kleuid |
| kleai |
| kltiu |
| tacher |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
| | teluo |
| eruo |
| edeuo |
| euaiuo |
| eimuo |
| kllolem |
| kleuid |
| kleai |
| kltiu |
| tacher |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
| | teliud |
| ereiud |
| edeiud |
| euaiud |
| eimiud |
| elolemiud |
| euidiud |
| eaiud |
| etiuiud |
| teruich el uid |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
| | sesakt |
| eresakt |
| edesakt |
| kloa |
| kleim |
| kllolem |
| kleuid |
| kleai |
| kltiu |
| tacher |
| lluich |
| okede |
| okoua |
| okeim |
| okolem |
| okeuid |
| okai |
| oketiu |
| dart |
| telael |
| mang |
|
Here are the Palaun words for first, second, third, etc., listed as Ordering, and the words for counting. Notice that these
sets only go to 10.
| Ordering | Counting |
| | kot |
| ongeru |
| ongede |
| ongeua |
| ongeim |
| ongelolem |
| ongeuid |
| ongeai |
| ongetiu |
| ongeteruich |
| | ta |
| oru |
| ode |
| oua |
| oim |
| malo |
| uid |
| iai |
| itiu |
| machod |
|