Nembe Numerals

Awakj-Gam Dede, Timothus Ikoko-Okparan

Description

The Nembe counting system might have been fundamentally based on the arrangement of the digits that makes up the human fingers and toes because these digits constitute the most handy calculating device available to any human being.

Informations

• Publié par: Onyoma Research Publications
• Date de parution: 29 décembre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9789788195566
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

NEMBE NUMERALS

NEMBEঃӎঃӎA KӎҼN YAӎғMA




BY


Chief Timotheus D. D.Ikoko-Ӑkparan, ChiefS.C. Awakӏ-Gam Dede,
Chief SylvesterMangӏ–Pҽgӏ
ҕ


ONYOMA RESEARCHPUBLICATIONS

FOR

NEMBE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION





2007

©
2007 Nembe Cultural Association and Onyoma Research

ISBN 978-978-8195-01-6

Published in 2007 by
Onyoma Research Publication
11 Orogbum Crescent, G.R.A Phase II
P.O.Box 8611, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
[e-mail]
www.onyoma .org

0803-308-3385


Printed by
Doval Ventures Limited
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Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Word Processing, Type Selection and Layout;
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at Hisis (Publising) Ltd. Port Harcourt
0803-300-4589

2

ACKNOWLEGEMENT

The Nembe Cultural Association expresses sincere gratitude to all those who
dedicated their time and effort to make this book on Nembe Numerals a success.

Our thanks goes to the Nembe Numerals Committee headed by Chief Timotheus
D.D. Ikoko- Okparan, the Secretary Chief S.C. Awaki-GamDede and Chief
Sylvester Mangi-Pegi (Late) who worked tirelessly to ensure the completion of the
book.

We are also grateful to the President of the Association, Chief (Prof.) Ebiegberi J.
Alagoa Kala Joe and able Assistant Secretary, Itua-Banigo Aye, for their
encouragement and assistance that never allowed the spirit of the members of the
committee to be dampened.

We are also indebted to all the members of the Association –Mr E.K. Edgar,
Secretary of the Association, Bishop C.T. Izulu, Mr. William Barimogha,Mr.
Max-Alagoa, Mr.Ombo Ekigha, Elder Teite-Bouyai A. Dicus, Teiteyai Wapah
(Late).


ITUA-BANIGO, AYE

3

INTRODUCTION
This publication on Nembe Numerals has two target populations.One consists of leaners of
Nembe Language to whom the systematic development of the Numerals may be useful.The
other group of readers comprises mature speakers ofNembe who may see it as a useful
reference volume.

Since language is dynamic,the publication may also serve posterity in studying the
metamorphosis of the Nembe countingsystem,with the period of this volume as a temporal
reference point.
The Nembe counting system might have been fundamentally based on the arrangement of
the digits that makes up the human fingers and toes because these digits constitute the most
handy calculating device available to any normal human being.

Each of theFirst FiveNemebe Numerals afterzero(yefa)has a name independent of the
name of any other numeral.
Thus we have

Kíoi(gberei)one :
Main :two
Tӏraӏ :three
Inein :four
Sӑnӑ :five

The next set of five Numerals from six(sondio)to ten(oyi)has a combnation of two
earlier names to give some of them while the derivation of the other is not obvious. Thus
sӑnӑmeӏn(seven )sӑnӑmaӏni.e five-two which impliessӑnӑná main nai.e five and two.
ғ

Sondio(six) seems to be related tosӑnӑ(five) but this not obvious.
Nínein(eight) seem have been derivedinein-ineini.e four-four or two fours.

4

Isein(nine) does not lent itself to a breakdown,with the best possible combination
ofsӑnӑinein(five-four or five and four).The“ӑnӑ”in“sӑnӑ”seems to have assimilated in the
process of combing“sӑnӑ”andinein.
Oyi(ten) is clearly on its own.

The counts from 11 to19 are derived from the sum of 10 and Numerals less than it. Thus:
11 = 10 and 1 extra whihch translates tooyi gberéifӏnd
15 = 10 and 5 extra i.eoyi sӑnӑfӏndӏ
19 = 10 and 9 extra i.eoyi iseinfӏndӏ

However, in this range 15 has the alternative name ofdiyé(shortened todié) whose history
is unknow.
Wenote that in Nembe 20 is not 10 and 10 extra (just as 10 is not 5 and 5 extra) but
has the basic independent name ofsi.The numerals (20) take over from 10 in counting
from 21 to less than 400.It forns most prominent base probably because it mark the point at
which the human digits of fingers and the toes are exhausted. Any numerals between 20
and 400 is called either by a perfect multiple of 20 or by the sum of a multiple of 20 and a
numeral from 1 to 19.

Thus:
21 = 20 and 1 extra i.e.si gberéifӏndӏ
30= 20 and 10 extra i.e. si oyi gberéi fӏndӏ(abbreviated tosuwei).
31= 20 and 11 extra i.e. si oyi gberéi fӏndӏ.
40= two twenties i.e.mási(pronouncedmési).
42= two twenties and two i.e. mési máinfӏndӏ
49 = two twenties and nine i.e.mési iseinfӏndӏ
50= two twenties and ten i.e.mési oyifӏndӏ
60= three twenties and tӏra sí or tӏresí (shortened to tesi ).
99= four twenties and nineteen i.e.iniesí oyi iseinfӏndӏ
100=five twenties andsӑnӑ así (ahortened tosonasí or sonesí)
199= nine twenties and nineteen i.e.isenesí oyi iseinfӏndӏ.
399=nineteen twenties and nineteen i.e.oyi isenesífӏndӏnaoyi iseinfӏndӏna.
400=ӑndҽand notsinesii.e.twenty twenties.
ғ

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Thereafter, any count is eirher perfect multiple of 400 (ӑndҽ) or the sum of a multiple of
ғ
400 and a numersl less than 400. But when we arrive at 400 x 400 the rules breaks down
(the same way as 5 + 5 or 10 +10 or 20 x 20).

It may be noteworthy that the Nembe counting system combines the Roman and the
HinduArabic (Internationals) systems with some areas of exception. For instance the Rome figure
for seven is VII i.e. (5) + 11(2) and the Nembe numeralfor seven issӑnӑmaini.e.sӑnӑ
ғ
(5) andmáin.Again twenty in Arabic numerals is XX i.e. X(10) + X(10) which is similar
tomési(40) in Nembe that breaks down to masi ési (2 twenties i.e.20+20), the difference
being only in the use of 10 and 20 in the two cases
Theirsimilarity with the Roman and Hindu-Arabic (international) numerals
facilitaes a study of the Nembe numeral which we now treat brifly. We begin by noting
areas in which the Nembe system differs from the International one. In Nembe numerals
multiples of20 and 400 are used, but multiple of 10 are never used in bulding a number,
a term which, like “units” in the International system is always silent in the pronunciation
of a Nembe numeral. Contrary to the arrangement in the International system where
multiples of 10 take over from the units 0 to 9. Also, in the place of these Iternational unity
of 0 to 9, the arrangement in the Nembe system of numerals shows that 1 to 9 form the
units which are calledtӏtarӏyaӏ(initial or basic ones). Thesetitariyaiand 10 have no
multiples. Yefa (zero) in the Nembe system recognized in countingordinarilybut not in
arrangement corresponding to those under unity, tens, hundredsetc.

We thus have for example:

(HT U)

(87 6)


876= 800 + 10 + 6
=2 x 400 + 3 x 20 + 10 + 6

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which becomesmaӑndҽtҽ(tӏra) si oyi sondiofӏndӏ.
ғ

This may be arranged thus:

ӑndҽ sioyi tӏtarӏyaӏ
ғ


ma tӏra (tҽ)• sondio

since oyi (10) has no multiple and it is unusual to saygbӑrӏ(one)oyi (ten), the symbol•is
used to indicate the presence of a ten. When no ten is present, this symbol is absent below
“oyi”in the arrangement.
For example:

866= 800 + 60 + 6
=2 x 400 + 3 x 20 + 6
=maӑndҽtesi sondio fӏndӏ
ғ
with no ten mentioned. This gives rise to the following arrangement:
ӑndҽoyi t siӏtarӏyaӏ
ғ
má tҽ sondio
Also, 870= 800 + 60 + 10
=2 x 400 + 3 x 20 + 10
=maӑndҽ tesi oyi fӏndӏ
ғ

While 880= 2 x 400 + 4 x 20
=maӑndҽiniesí fӏndӏ
ғ

We see from the example that“fӏndӏ”(remains) is attached to the last group or “digits” in
the pronunciation of a Nembe numeral which is usually based on its expansion in terms of

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units, ten, twenty, four hundred etc.“fӏndӏ”may also be seen as analogous with “and” in
the enumeration of a list.
The pronunciation of some Nembe numerals involves term beyondӑndҽ(four hundred).
ғ
When multiples of 400(ӑndҽ) get to 400 as a multiplying factor to give the numeralӑndҽ
ғ