Bhojpuri numerals

Bhojpuri number words include numerals and other words derived from them, along with the words which are borrowed from other numbers.

Cardinal numbers

Base numbers

Bhojpuri numeral Arabic numeral Bhojpuri word Romanized word
० 0 𑂮𑂳𑂢𑂹𑂢𑂰 sunnā
१ 1 𑂉𑂍 eka
२ 2 𑂠𑂴 dū
३ 3 𑂞𑂲𑂢 tīna
४ 4 𑂒𑂰𑂩 cāra
५ 5 𑂣𑂰𑂒 pāca
६ 6 𑂓𑂫 chava
७ 7 𑂮𑂰𑂞 sāta
८ 8 𑂄𑂘 āṭha
९ 9 𑂢𑂫 nava

1-99

+0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9
+0 sunnā ek dū/dūi tīna cāra pāṅch chava/Chay sāta āṭha nava
+10 das egāraha bāra' tera' caüda' panra' sora' satra' aṭhāra' ūnaïs
+20 bīs ekaïs bāīs teīs caübīs pachīs chhabbīs sattāīs aṭṭhāīs ūntīs
+30 tīs ekatīs battīs teṅtīs chaüṅtīs païṅtīs chattīs saiṅtīs aṅṛtīs uncālīs
+40 chālīs ektālīs beyālīs teṅtālīs chaüwālīs paiṅtālīs chhiyālīs saiṅtālīs aṅṛtālīs[1] ūnchās
+50 pachās ekāwan, bāwan tirepan chaüwan pachpan chappan santāwan anṭhāwan ūnsaṭh
+60 sāṭh eksaṭh bāsaṭh tiresaṭh chaüṅsaṭh paiṅsaṭh chāchaṭh saṛsaṭh anṛsaṭh[2] ūnhattar
+70 sattar ek'hattar bahattar tihattar chaühattar pach'hattar chhihattar sat'hattar aṭhhattar ūnāsī
+80 assī ekāsī, berāsī tirāsī chaürāsī pachāsī chiyāsī satāsi aṭhāsī nawāsī
+90 nabbe ekānbe bānbe, tirānbe chaürānbe panchānbe chhiānbe santābe[3] anṭhānbe[4] ninānbe[4]

The Old Bhojpuri word for Twenty is kor̤ī, which is still used in Trinidadian Bhojpuri.[5][6] In Western Standard Bhojpuri, egara, baara end with "e" instead of "a', hence, egare, baare, tere e.t.c are used till eighteen.[7] The word for Hundred in Bhojpuri is Sai.

Higher numbers

The word for thousand is Hajār, which is a Persian loanword, the Old Bhojpuri word is Sahas. The word for One Hundred Thousand is Lākh.

1000 Hajār
100,000 Lākh
10000000 karor

Numbers above Hundred are formed by subjoining the lower number with the higher ones.

101 Ek Sai Ek
102 Ek Sai Du
103 Ek Sai Teen
110 Ek Sai Das
1396 Ek Hajar Teen Sai Panchanbe
305256 Tee Lakh Paanch Hajar Chhappan

Base 20 counting

A counting system considering 20 as a base is also used in Bhojpuri. Hence, 65 is expressed as (3*20)+5, i.e. Teen Bees/Kori aa Panch, Some time number lesser than 20 but near twenty are also expressed in terms of twenty. For example, Eightneen can be expresses has Du Kam Bees/Kori.[8]

Ordinals

First four ordinals are:

1st pahil
2nd dūsar
3rd tīsar
4th caüth

The rest of the ordinals are made by adding -wā to the cardinals, for ex. pachwā (fifth).

Multiplicative numerals

Multiplicatives are formed are adding hālī, hālā, ber, beri, tor, torī with the numbers.

Notes

  1. ^ Gvozdanovic 1992, p. 261.
  2. ^ Gvozdanovic 1992, p. 267.
  3. ^ Gvozdanovic 1992, p. 273.
  4. ^ a b Gvozdanovic 1992, p. 274.
  5. ^ Mohan, Peggy Ramesar (1978). Trinidad Bhojpuri: A Morphological Study. University of Michigan.
  6. ^ Mohan 2021, p. 217.
  7. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 118.
  8. ^ Tiwari 1960, p. 120.

References

  • Gvozdanovic, Jadranka (1992). Indo-European Numerals. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.
  • Mohan, Peggy (2021). Wanderers, Kings, Merchants: The story of India through its languages. Penguin. ISBN 9780670093687.
  • Tiwari, Uday Narayan (1960). Origin and Development of Bhojpuri. The Asiatic Society. ISBN 8172361076.