XII

NOTE ON THE NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF THE TIBETO

BURMAN DIALECTS
By T. C. HUDSON

East London College, University of London

T PROPOSE to examine the various dialects of which

are
in vol. iii of the Report of the
specimens given
Linguistic Survey of India, to group them together
according to their method of forming numerals, and
then to examine the forms of the numerals used as bases
for the higher numerals.
I have divided them into two main groups, in the first
of which I place those dialects which form their numerals
on a decimal basis, and in tin? second of which I group
those which use a score base for higher numerals.
I subdivide these two main groups according to their
use of prefixes or suffixes when
effecting multiplication.
I find that there are cases which have some
special
features notice.
requiring separate

(JROUPI
System decimal, 'prefixes as multipliers
*Balti, Purik, *Ladakhi, *Central
Tibetan, *Spiti,
*Kagate, *Sharpa, *Danjongka, *Gurung, Pahri, Limbu,
*Lohorong, *Rai, Thaksya, Darin iya, Chaudangsi,
Byangsi, Aka, Chulikata Mishmi, Mikir, Yawdwin,
*
Sho, Mru, Chinbok, Kachin, ^Burmese, *Lhoke.
In the dialects marked *
the decimal base of the higher
numerals is the ten of the ordinary system. In Limbu
" "
the word for ten is bong, which is used as the base
for twenty and thirty. For higher numbers kip is
suffixed to the multiplier up to one hundred, when kip
310 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIllETO-UUKMAN DIALECTS

"
jirefixed means hundred ".l In Darmiya2
ten, while chi =
sa seems to be the base used in higher
numbers. The
"
difference in Aka is less as the word for ten" is vhi,
while we have a form phumu-r?6 = fifty, where phum = five.
In the case of Mikir:* the word kep = ten, changes to kve
for numbers from eleven to nineteen. It also has

a word for "score", In Chulikata Mishmi the

xngkoi.
" "
word for ten" is hush, while fifty" is mangalon.
In Digaru Mishmi the word for "ten" is hhldlig, which
"
is used regularly. Miju Mishmi has kap for ten ", ketag
" "
for and a curious form ngnum for fifty".
twenty",
is where = while si is the
"Thirty" suiig-r/y^p gyep kap,
base in hvi-si = forty, and in ngrun-si =
fifty.4 This
base is found in Kachin and Burmese (se). In Yawdwin we
have rhar = = =
ten, ma-ZYm twenty, and mha " gyip fifty.
"
In Chinbok "ten" is hsrar, and twenty is inn ku, while
in the Gazetteer of Upper Burma, p. 082,1 Hud "thirty"
as htuin chip. In Sho we have ha = ten, kid =
given
= In Mru we have ///x-inuit
twenty, and ngha gip fifty.
=
(? ha-muit, see below) ten, pir-??i = twenty (lit. two tens,
= and =
pre two), ngn-kom fifty.
(Juoup II
decimal, as multipliers
System suffixes
Dafla/* Miri, Garo (standard), Anganii, Senia, Rengma,
Kezhama, Namsangiya, Moshang, Empeo, Arung, Kabul,
Khoirao, Sopvoma, Maram, Lij'ang, Tangkhul, Phadang,
Khangoi, Maring, Siyin, Thado, Lai, Shonshe, Lushei,
Banjogi, Paukhu, llangkhol. Hal lam, Langrong, Aimol,
Chiru, Kolren,
Koni, Puruni, Anal, Hiroi Langang,
Taungtha, Khanii, Lakher.
Here, again, we have complete systems in Miri, Moshang,
Thado, Lushei, Paukhu, Kangkhol, Hallam, Langrong,
1 I see reasons for that retains its
thinking kip original meaning
of "ten". See below, p. HU2.
- ::
Also in Chandangsi and Byangsi. Vide The Mikir*, p. 78.
4 See 5
helow, p. .T28. I'art prefixes.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 317

Aimol, Chiru, Kolrcn, Kom, Puruin, Anal, Hi roi Lamgang,

and Lak her.1
In Dafla we have three forms: = ten, =
i\\yi uyi-kru
= In standard Garo we have
twenty, and chamung fifty.
= ten, = =
chikung kolgiik twenty, and sot borigga fifty.
In Angami, kew = ten, mckwn =
twenty, and ltd pangu =
" " "
fifty. In Sema ten is chigh\, mukn is twenty ", and
"
Iho pungu is lifty". In Rengnia we have sew for
"ten", nki for "twenty", and heni\}i\x for "fifty". In
Kezhama we have chiro = niec/u = and
ten, twenty,
lha = In thethe case of
pangu fifty. Namsangiya
difference is more apparent than real. The word for
" " " " " "
ten is ichhi, that for twenty rangi, and for fifty
is obviously a contracted form of rok
rakhanga. Rangi
which occurs in Moshang, while ichhi belongs to another
series of ten bases.2 In we have = ten,
Empeo gareo
akai = and The forms in =
twenty, ?'i-ngjeo fifty.
A rung resemble those in Empeo very closely. Here, again,
the ten-base reappears in "fifty". In Kabui we have
In = choi = and = Khoirao
ten, twenty, Ze-ngu fifty.
" "
has wira for ten ", nmchi for twenty ", and ^vmga for
" "
fifty '. Sopvoma has chi?v> for ten ", make for
and re-yongo for Maram has ke>v>
"twenty", "fifty".
"
for ten ", nm-kei for "twenty", and rengo for "fifty".
"
Liyang has karyn for "ten", nnikai for twenty ", and
" we have
ringyu for fifty ". In Tangkhul thara for
"
"ten ", maga for ", and hang panga for
twenty "fifty".
In Phadang the forms are for practical purposes identical
with those in Tangkhul, while Khangoi gives us ta/ng
" "
phanga for fifty ".M Maring has chip for ten ", but
uses som, the ten-base of Kuki dialects, for higher
"
numbers. has som or khaoi
Siyin
for ten ", uses both
"
bases for twenty ", as well as a form kul, and seems to

1 2
See Grammar by Hcv. F. W. .Savidge. See helow, p. .'V2S.
3
Ethnographically Phadang and Khangoi belong to the Tangkhul
group of villages.
318 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIBETO-UUHMAN DIALECTS

"
use som
for higher numbers. Lai has po-ra for ten ",
"
for twenty ", and uses sam for the base of higher
po-kul
numbers. Slioushc resembles Lai. In Taungtha the
" " " "
word for ten is paW/.a, for twenty riii-nip, and for
" "
fifty vui-wgii, where mi is the ten-word and belongs
to a definite series of ten bases. In Banjogi we have
" "
pa-m or tsom for ten ", kid or tsom-ni for twenty ",
and tsom for the base of higher numbers. In Khanii we
" or
have hoh for ten ", tipwm for "twenty", and wei-\m
"
wi-pang-re for fifty ".

Gkoup III

prefixes as multipliers
System vigesimal,
Toto, Khambu, Balling, Thulung, Dhimal, Kanaw'ri,
Kanashi, Manchati, Chamba Lahuli, (?) Bunan, ltangkas,
and Meithei.
we have twa.sv = \\\sa = and
In Toto ten, twenty,
" "
m-kwai-tuse =In Khambu is \k-p)ong, ten
" fifty. " "
" " one
twenty " is ikkhalo, fifty is pachas (Aryan); but
"
hundred is ngiik-khal or fivescore ". Bailing has a
"
form kwnddyum for ten ", kwong-asim for "twenty",
for and or "five
niksi-?.s/ni-a-phlo "fifty", ngo-asim
" "
score for one hundred ". Thulung has kwong-dyum
for "ten", for natxsang-ko-dynm
kwong-u-.svmr/ "twenty",
for and or "fivescore" for "one
"fifty", wgo-sang
hundred". Dhimal has na-bisa or "fivescore" for "one
"
hundred ",with te for ten ". Kanawri,
Kanashi, Manchati,
Bunan, Rangkas, and possibly Lahuli form twenty
Chamba
as twice ten, forty as twice twice ten. The ten-base in
Manchati, Chamba Lahuli, and is sa.
Kanawri, ltangkas
Kanashi uses das, and Bunan has chui. Kanashi has
" is obviously derived
a form biya for twenty ", which
from bis. There remains Meithei: "ten" is there tam,
" "
is kul, while a base pint is employed for higher
twenty
= half a hundred. For
numbers, except fifty, yangkhei
" is suffixed.
hundreds" the multiplier
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 319

CROUP IV
as
System vigesimal, supires multipliers
Murmi, Sun war, Roug, Yak ha, K haling, (Jaro Abeng,
(laro Jalpaiguri, (huo Atong, (biro Ruga, Tipura, Deuri
Chutiya, Tableng, Tanilu, Mulung(?), Banpara, Chang (?),
Mutonia (?).
In Murmi we have chui or chin for "ten ", hhogal for
" are
twenty ", from which formed hhogal-n i-sa-chit i for
" " one
fifty ", and hhogal nga for hundred ". Sunwar
gives us in addition to Indo-Aryan loan-words, wt-shi for
" "
ten ", khal-ka for ", and /?:/<r</:-nishi-.sf/-shi-ka for
twenty
has ka-//' for "ten", kha-/*:a/. for
"fifty". Rong 'twenty",
"
and Ma-nyet-sa-kai/ for fifty". Yakha uses the
"
ten-base bong throughout. Thus, \bong for ten ", h\-bong
for "twenty", h\bong-h\c\\cM\-\\ga-\bony for "fifty".
a form tadham "
Khaling has for ten ", cf. Thulung kwong
"
dojum, khal-tau for twenty '', khal-nak\H)-tn\\-dham
for "fifty", and khal-h\\o\\g for "one hundred". Garo
" "
Abeng has taking for ten ", kol for twenty ", Za/chong "
gni c/uking for "lift}'". In Garo of Jalpaiguri "ten is
" " " "
chwi, twenty is o'ung-sha, fifty is rung-\\\\\g-chwi,
" one
and hundred" is ruw/-bunga. Atong Garo has
" "
chaigik for ten ", kol for twenty ", o'im-ni-chaigik for
" "
fifty". Ruga Garo has gaichi for ten ", kol for
"twenty", and kol-chnngm-chi for "fifty". Tipura has
chi for "ten", kol or khol for "twenty", kuri-\\\\\-clii
for "fifty", and kuri-ha for "one hundred". In Deuri
we have "
Chutiya tideke or dga for ten", Icua sa for
" "
twenty ", kova kin otu pekm for fifty ", and kiea moa
" "
for "one hundred ". Tableng has yum for ten ", twenty"
" " "
is ta, fifty is ti cha ))dn,.(where 11 is ta X i (" two is i)),
" " "
one hundred is te nga cha, or scores five one ". Tain Iu
has dn for "ten", hd for "twenty", pi-\\\-hn-dn for
"fifty", and j)?t-nga for "one hundred". In Mulling
? " = ?
we have ten tha and cha
pan ", twenty, thd-uga
"
one hundred ". Banpara has van or 6??i for " ten ", cha
320 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIBETO-UURMAN DIALECTS

or tsd for "twenty", for "fifty", and phgii

pu-nyi-ban
" "
for one hundred ". Chang has (in = ten ", sa-o ] chi =
but an-ehi-ni-sem for which seems
"twenty", "fifty",
" or " scores
to be ten one, two twenties", pn-gn five"
"
is one hundred ".
One
The form used in the Tibetan group of dialects from
Balti to Lhoke is chik.
Danjongka has chi. Newari
has chhi, Toto
has die, Lalung, Tableng, and Mulling
have cha, Chang has chi. Perhaps we may link with
this group the dialects using se or si or sui for
"
one ". They are Bodo se or sui, Mech se, Dimasa shi,
Garo sd, RugaGaro so, Koch sd, Tipura sd, Deuriya
cha, or sa, Moshang ashl, Mikir isi.
Chutiya ja,
Another base the dillusion of which is noteworthy
is khat. and Hong have kat, Sunwar has ka,
Magar
Chilli kata Mishmi has ekhe, Ao has died, Khari has
akhet, Lhota has ekhd, Puruin has akha, while Anal has
khe. The form khat, with or without change, is used in

Tengsa and Thukumi (kathn), Einpeo, Arung, Kabui,

Khoirao, Tangkhul,
Liyang, Phadang, Maring, Khangoi
(leaking),Thado, Kuki, Siyin, Lai, Shonshe, Lushei, Banjogi,
Paukhu, Kangkhol, Hallam, Langrong, Aimol, Chiru, Hiroi
Kolren, Koni, Taungtha, and Lak her. Some
Lamgang,
of these forms may be derived from the Indo-Aryan
word ek, in Dhimal e, and Yakha ikko. We get Khambu
i.-bom, where I i as the base and as derived
regard
possibty from ek. So, too, with Bailing k-v)-ong, Waling
aleta, Balali ik-kn, Lohorong yekko, Itungchhenbung
enkchha, Dungniali ahpo, Thulung k-wong, Nachhereng
ibhon. Such words as E. Dafla akkin, Chulikata Mishmi
ekhe, Digaru Mishmi Mishmi ko mo, Ao2 aka
ekhing, Miju
Khari2 akhet, Lhota2 ekhd, Tainlu lud',, and Miri dkd look
as if they are connected with this base. In Aka all that
1
See p. 334.
2 with to the Khat
They belong greater probability group.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 321

is left is a. group whieh

Another has interesting forms
is Kanawri id, Kanashi idh, Manchati idi, Chamba itli,
eltd, Mutonia add, and Burmese tit or in.
Banpara
Perhaps Janggali da1 comes into the group with Sangpang
ilia, Lambichong ihili, Chingtang tliUta, Rodong if to.
Hunan has tiki, Rangkas tdkd, Chaudangsi and Byangsi
have tig, Darmiya taku,, Murmi has ki, Rai has tikpu,
Pahri has thiki, Limbu has thik, and Gurung has glir'i.
Yachumi has ka lang, where A:r/,judging by other numerals
in the series, is the prefix and lang the base. Maram
has hang ll-ne, where by the same criterion hang is
a prefix, so that ll would seemingly be the base. In

Sopvoma, i.e. next door to Maram, the base is clearly li.

Namsangia has vdn-the, where the base being the, it

would seem to be assignable to the se group, t and *

being interchangeable. has Idki, Mru has loke, and

Sema
Kezhama kele. In Sema the use of prefixes in other
numerals would indicate that ki, is tin;re the base, while
Kezhama and Mru in other cases regularly use prefixes,
thus giving ke as the base in Mru and le as the base in
Kezhama; cf.Sopvomaand Maram, supra. Rengma has'me,
Meithei has ama, Yawdwin has tnmat,2 and Sho has mat.'2
Miklai has ona-chuoiga, but uses prefixes regularly iu
other numbers. \\\ Khaini we have hare, and by analogy
with its other numerals hd is the base and o'e a suffix.
Hd is thein Sho
base as
recorded by Houghton and

Fryer. Angami has po. There can be no doubt that

the use of the numeral for "one" as an affix to indicate

singularity has led to the disappearance of the original

numeral in several cases and the employment of some
word of different origin in its place. The detrition of
whole syllables may account for cases where the base has
and its place taken by its prefix or suffix.
disappeared
1
With Dhramu dc and Thaksya dl. Thaini, diienrn.
3 I note that these forms are "apparently connected with the forms
"
in the Mon Khmer group of languages (LSR., vol. iii, pt. iii, p. 335).
322 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TJJIETO-11U11MAKDIALECTS

Two
The standard form is nhinyis or
or ni or nyet.

Occasionally the open vowel is closed by ng. which imay

on further prove to be a nasalization,
investigation only
e.g. Miju Mishmi kd-NI-ng, Lalung ki-NIng, Garo
a NIng. s and t, are sometimes used to shut
Jalpaiguri
the sound. Taungtha (nip) employs ^> for this purpose.
The frequent interchange of I or r for n gives us variant
forms, and the vowel becomes a in Newari nasi,1 Vayu
nd-y\mg, Angami kemm, Ao and; Tengsa and Dopdor
annat, Empeo gana, Arung kund, Kabui kiinhdi, Marani

hang-iw. The substitution of a for i can be traced in

other words in Angami. and it would be an interesting
thing to trace the extent of this feature in other cases.
The Digaru Mishmi word kdying belongs to this group;
cf. Dhimal nge. Tableng i has lost its initial consonant.
Aka may be contrasted
kshi with Bailing and Chour^rya
uiksi. The only forms which I am unable to bring into
line in any way with the standard form are Kai, Duini,
and Khaling .sakpu, Yakha hichchi, which is used also
in Balali, Sangpang, Lohorong, Lambichong, Chhingtang,
Dungniali, and Manchati jut with Chamba jur. I*think
the last two must be Indo-Aryan loan-wrords and mean
"
a pair ". Rungchhenbung has hen wang heusa; llodong
has hdkara. Mm has a form pre (pir in pir-ini = twenty)
which be held to resemble a Mon Khmer form bar}
may

Three
The standard form may be said to be sun. s and /
are often interchanged and the final consonant is in some
cases replaced by ng or m. Hie vowel is not persistent,
o and a. To this group belong, therefore,
being replaced by
such forms as Sun war sang, Newari so, Pahri songo, Toto
sung, Digaru Mishmi kasang, Thukunii and Yachunii

1 The form is ni.

ordinary
2 110.
Forbes, Comparative Grammar, p.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 323

asaoig, Khami tilling, Burmese than, s also changes to

z or to ;/ or to ch, and we must therefore extend it to
forms such as Aka zu, Kezhama katzil, Tain Iu chum,
Banpara ajam, Mutonia azani, Empeo gnjum, Arung
kachnm. E. Dafla a om, Miri a oimkn, Maring khi yum,
and Meithei ahum belong to this group. Digaru Mishmi
has kasang and Miju Mishmi has kasroji. Chulikata
Mishmi has a form kash which I assign to this group.
Kash is due to the loss of the base proper except the
initialconsonant, as shown by the parallel instances from

cognate dialects. Angami has se, which may be filiated

to the group through the Sema forms ke thu and kot tic.
Tableng rt has a form lum and Mulung rt has/cm. Namsangiart
has wairmm where ram is the base. Khambu has sup
chi, Rai has sukpu, and Janggali has sag. The base is
sup and suk. Cf. Nachhereng snkbhou, Kulung supchi,
Khaling and Dumi sdkpo. Vayu has chhn-yuny where
chhu is the base. It is possible that the effect of the
suffixes in the cases of Rai and Khambu has been to
the final consonant of the base in accordance
modify
"
with local rules". The last form to be considered is
that found in Deuri
Chutiya mungda. The prefix is onu
and the base is contained in oigda. Kusunda has ddha,
with dd as the base.
Four
The most
general is li or ri. form
Sometimes, as in
Burmese, but not often, the vowel changes to e. The
group includes dialects such as Gurung, Murmi, Sunwar,
Magar, Hong, Limbu, Yakha, Khambu Bailing, Vayu,
Aka, Dafla, Mishmi, Bodo, Mech, Diuiasa, Garo, Tipura,
Khari, Ao (Mongsen), Tableng, Mikir, Khoirao, Mating,
Meithei, Thado, Lushci, down to Mru, and including
Balali, 'Lohorong, rt' Dungmali,
o 'Rodong, rt' Nachheren<r, rt Kuluno. rt
Iii Khaling and Dumi the vowel is lost, bhdl- and
bhyd.l.
A second group, which may after all be filiated or
related to the first, is that which has zid, or di for its
.Iras. 101:1. 22
324 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIUETO-IJURMAN DIALECTS

base. To it belong Balti, Purik, Ladakhi, Central rribetan,

Spiti, Kagate, Sharpa, Danjongka, and Lhoko, all using
zhi or shi. Toto has jl. Sema and Kezhania have di.
Thukumi has mozhe, Miklai has ine/o, Ao (Chungli) has
pec</, has Lhota mccji. we
Rcngina pee/, Perhaps
may bring into this group such forms as da,
Angami
Empeo mixdai, Sopvoma [nulai, Marani mudai, Liyang
nuulai, Arung madai, and Kabui
[radai. Dhimal has did.

Perhaps the base of swkhai,1 the interesting word in Mech

and Kachari for a group of four, may be za, in which
case it too conies into this group. Deuri Chutiya has chi.
Then we have a group which uses pi or pu as base,
which may be due to a contraction of a prefix with the
base. The dialects in this group are Kanawri, Kanashi,
Manchati, Chamba, Bunan,
Rangkas, Darmij'a, Chaudangsi,
Byangsi, Miri, Chulikata
Mishmi, Yachumi, Chinbok,
Yawdwin, Newari, Pahri, Kusunda, and Chourasya.
Kliami has \dn, which may be a variant of the first group.
Cf. Thulung Mi2 and Vayu bll-ning. Rai presents us with
a form bha-luk-pu, the base of which is Ink. The change
of the vowel from i to d is found in Sangpang, Waling,
Uungchhcnbiing.
Five
The base here is easily ascertained. It is NGA.
The vowel modification to o, u, eu, on, eo.
undergoes
The consonants are constant. and
remarkably Banpara
Mutonia have a</d. Bodo, Moeh, Dimasa, Tipura, Deuri
have forms bd or boa or moa, which, together
Chutiya
with the Chinbok and Yawdwin form mha, I regard as

belonging to this group. Khaini has pa, whieh

properly
" ". Outside the standard
seems abbreviated from panga
form are Vayu fining, Miju Mishmi ka-llin, Aka phum,
and Rai bhok-pu. Rengnia has pfu, but we have a variant

pung- on the authority of Butler, which brings it into

1
Ovjokhni.
2 Alternative form bin.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 325

uses = =
the main group. Miju Mishmi ngriin-Hi fifty
five tens. Chepang has pn-ma-zho.
Six
The base here is ruk. coalesced with It is sometimes
tho prefix ta, giving ink or tug. Toto has tu. There
are dialects which have; ru or ro as a result of losing the
final consonant. Sunwar has rukn, Ncwari has khu, and
Pahri has khngn. But I do not doubt that Newari and
Pahri belong to the series.
forms both Angami has suw,
Rengma saro, and Kezhama saw. The Sema word tsugico
may be classed with Tableng ovok. and Mulung vok, and
all belong to this group. Thado gup also comes in, as
the equation = r has much to prove it. Wo may
g
also bring in Deuri Chutiya onu-ehu, where dm is the
base. Vayu chhu-nmg and Burmese
has has chauk.
Forms the group
outside are Miju Mishmi kd-tdon, Aka
rich, with which go E. Dafla dkr, Dafla akple. Sho has
a form sok or sop. Chulikata Mishmi has ahe. Miri has

alceoigka and Rai has jhatcpu. Digaru Mishmi has td-rd.

The Mon form ti'oov1 seems related to the standard base here.
Seven
The first group is that which uses rdnoi or dun or tioi
or dnioi as the base, and comprises Balti, Purik, Ladakhi,
Central Tibetan, Spiti, Kagate, Sharpa, Danjongka, Lhoke,
and Toto.

Very widely spread is the form ni with its variants,

oilia, oihi, ids, oioji, odl, oia, oiet, ioig, oiyet, nye, nya,
where = r = oi. I note
o*et, ri, li, rik, oiai, oigi, gi, g that

"Seven in Miri and kanni

is ki nit, in Dafla ..." The
"
word seems to mean two more than the hand ", LSR. iii,
pt. i, p. 593. Burmese has kun-linit.2 We get forms, such
as serr in Chinbok, which result from the elision of the
final vowel. Cf. Khaling tar.Miju Mishmi has niin,
which I think may be a contraction for ni un. The
1 1*20.
Forbes, Comparative tlrammnr, p.
3 " "
Does this mean hand-two ? AVtMl-lmiul in several dialects.
326 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TinETO-RURMAX DIALECTS

base nn is found
in Balali,
Sangpang, Lohorong, Kulung.
Kanawri has a
form stish or tish, which is irregular.
Rai has vok-pu. Chulikata Mishmi has joh and Digaru
Mishmi has owe. Aka has mtdh. Deuri Chutiya has
mushing, which resembles Moshang mashi. Rong has
leaky ok. Mikir
has thrak-si, which means "six and one".
At first sight it might seem that the Anal form tale-si is
due to the same process, which has also been employed
in the formation of tik-si-yn in Hi roi Lamgang.1 Sho has
si, which will be recognized as one of
"one" bases, the
though not the base used in Sho.it possible Is that
si is a survival from a six plus one formation, preserving
an older form for the one base ? Rungchhenbung has
a form I can find no parallel.
bhang for which
There is, wdiatever its origin, a group with si as the
base for seven. It includes Deuri Chutiya, Moshang,
Anal, Hi roi Lamgang, and Sho.

Eight
The base for eight passes through a series of trans
formations the intermediate
stages of
quite which are
well marked. gyat
Taking of the Tibetan dialects,
Balti, Purik, Ladakhi, Central Tibetan, Spiti, Sharpa,
Danjongka, Lhoke, we get ke in Kagate, chya in Newari,
chegi in Pahri, ge in Toto, ye in Dhimal, yechhi in Limbu,
ya in Balling, and tai-ya in Khami. Another line takes
us from jyad
ltangkas to Byangsi jed, thence to Bara sal,
Diniasa majai, Caro chet, Angami thotha, Rengnia totse,
Kezhaina twhe, Hatiguria chet, Ao haset, Lhota fcba,
Miklai tvja, Sho shet, Burmese shit. Kulung rechi,
where r has taken the place of g, is followed by Siyin liet,
Lai Shonshe mar it,
\mriat, Lushei
Banjogi
\)oryeth,
l>areyet, Paukhu riet or riek,
Kuki group with
the Old
Anal tarile, to Taungtha parip, Yawdwin khret, and
Mru reat. Rai, the form in Kanawri, Manchati, and
1 I am not so sure of this. Talc and tik probably are only prelixes.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIBETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 327

Chamba, pre or bre as found in G lining and Murmi,

also fall into this group. Tipura has char.
Rong has a form kaku. Sun war has yah. Aka has
silczi. Miju Mishmi has grim, which may be compared
with Chulikata Mishmi Un and the Digaru Mishmi word
illaon. E. Dafla has plin or phignag. Rai has rikpu,
which may belong to the re series. Deuri Chutiya has
miishe, which again may fall into line with Bodo zat.
Ao has ti. In Mech we have jokliai-noi, which means
"fours two". The same method is
of forming rt
eight
o

employed in Miri, which has pi-uyi-ka. Meithei has

id-pan, which like Mikir oier-kep means "two from ten".

There are thus three ways of regarding eight?(1) as a
number by itself, (2) as two fours, (3) as two short of ten.
Nine
The base is gu or ku with
variants gci, ko, kya, kwu,
kni, gui, kwa, ka. It is well diffused, extending to
Burmese ko. The first variant to be noticed is that found
in Rai, where we have the form tampu or iumbu. Limbu
and Yakha have a form phdngai, in which phang is the
base.1 With this go the forms used in Balali, Lohorong,

Rungchhenbung, and Kulung. Khambu has oochi, where

bo1 is the base. Miri has kanangka, where nang seems to
be the base. It resembles
Digaru Mishmi kenojooig. Aka
has a word stheu, which is singular. Chulikata Mishmi
has Jchili and Miju Mishmi has oidt. Meithei has mdpaoi
and Mikir has serkep, which in each case mean "one
from ten ".
Ten
The first group consists of those dialects which use chu
as the base for their tens. In it are Balti, Purik, Ladakhi,
Central Tibetan, Spiti, Kagate, Sharpa, Danjongka, Lhoke,
Toto, Bunan. The Bara form zn (or zi) belongs to
this group. In Thaksya the changes are notable.
= ten, = nom-bu = bli
Chyoi ngi-yu twenty, thirty,
1 "
Bony is a ten base. These forms probably mean one from ten ".
328 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF T1HETO-IIURMAK DIALECTS

= ? Murmi and (iurung

byn forty, uga-syu fifty. give
alternate forms, chin or chni. Through these forms
wre may perhaps bring into this group those dialects
which use chi or some derivative thereof as the ten
base. They are
ltangkas, Darniiya, Chaudangsi, llyangsi,
Pahri (ji-gi), Diniasa (maji), Garo (t7*ikung), Tipura,
and Chinbok l have
Namsangia, Senia, Singpho. Maring
chip, which will link the group to Sho (gip), Yawdwin

(gyip), Mikir (kep), Miju Mishmi (leap), and Liinbu (kip).

The base si or se which is found in Miju Mishmi, Kachin,
and Burmese, may belong to this group.
The second group consists of those dialects which use
as their ten base r. To this group belong Rai (ri),
Aka (rhi), Mikir (kve), Einpeo (ga-ra;), Arung (ku-vou),
= =
Namsangia (w-ngi twenty, rale banga fifty), Moshang
= = = ten,
(rok-ni twenty, vole banga fifty), Sopvoma (chiro
= = ?
re-pongo Maram (ku-ro ten, vengo fifty),
fifty),
= = It must also
Li}rang (ka-ryu ten, ri-ngyu fifty).
include Ao (ter), Khari (tarah), llatigoria (them), Lhota

(tero), Miklai (taro), Tengsa (tixeln), Thukumi (terre),

Yachuini (turr), Meithei (tava), Tangkhul (tham), Phadang
(tharra), Khangoi (tharra), Lai (po-m), (ma-ra), Shonshe
and =
Banjogi (\m-ra), Taungtha (\)a-rha rui-n\\) twenty),
Chinbok (hsra)*), Yawdwin (vhar), Khoirao (nara), Rengina
(sew), Angami (kerr). Lak her has a form hraiv. In
Dafla we get The interchange of ? and r is
ii3ri-k?*u.
frequent. We may therefore include in this group such
=
words as E. Dafla illyi, Angami ////-pangu fifty, Senia
= Kezhaina =
^o-pangu fifty, /-/^r-pangu fifty.
The third group is extremely compact and consists
of Kuki-Chin dialects which use som as their
exclusive!}'
ten base. They are Maring,2 Thado, Siyin, Lushei, Lai,
Shonshe,3 Banjogi, Paukhu, Rangkhol, Hallam, Langrong,

VKIL, p. (382.
2 Uses for ten and *om for higher numerals.
chip
3 In numbers
higher only.
 NUMERAL SVSTEMS OE TIBETO-IHRMAN DIALECTS 329

Aimol, Chiru, Kolreu, Kom, Puruin, Anal, Hiroi Lamgang,

and Lakher (shen). To this group we may add Dafla,
which has c^om-uni-ka = and =
thirty, t/V?m-pl-ka forty.
we add = = ten
Possibly may Rengnia ticm-piu fifty
X five.

There are other forms which may tentatively be collected

as of identical origin. Newari has
together presumably
.su-nha = ten. Chamba
Darmiya, Kanawri, Kanashi,

Lahuli, and Raugkas have forms sni or sd. Toto has

twa-w = ten and ni-,su = Sun war has sashi = ten.
twenty.
Burmese has Use. To this group may belong such forms
as Sho (ltd), Khaini (hoh), Mru (/tmnuit), Tangkhul
(hang
in hang panga = fifty), Phadang l
heoig phangne, Rengnia
=
(hem in hem pfu fifty), and Chulikata Mishmi (hush).
The word /ai-lang in Digaru Mishmi would seem to bo

assignable to this group, but we have manga-Zrm == fifty,

where the base is Ion and perhaps related to the r group.
Limbu, Yakha, Lohorong, Kulung, and Khambu use
the base bong.
The base pan is used
Tamlu, *(An) Mulling, in Tableng.

Banpara, *Chang, aud Mutonia. It occurs in Meithei in

" " "
the words ni pan and ma p'in for eight and nine ".
Bailing has a form kwaddyiim for "ten", which is
related to Thulung k(w)ong dyum and Khaling tndham.
has a form ka-//. s and t are so often inter
Rong

changed that this base may be placed in Group I.

The Miri word for "ten", u-ing, resembles the Mikir
word ing-/iYH, but the resemblance is illusory. Koi is
the? base iu tin; Mikir word, and means "a score ".

Standard has a form sot in sol bongga=

Garo fifty.
Deuri Chutiya has a word dga and a form fi-dekc.
we ?
In Khanii have a word wei in orei-on fifty.
m and g are often of Thado and
interchanged gup ovup
for "six". Colonel notes that // iu Thado
Shakespear
1 But see as
above to hon and its possible with the
relationship
nom group.
330 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TinETO-llURMAN DIALECTS

represents
r in Lushei to a large extent.1 If so, wei, may
be held to belong to the r group.
Mru us with two curious forms. Its word
presents very
for is pir-m/, where = = two. Mi is
"twenty" pir " pre
"
therefore "ten ". Its word for fifty is nga-kom, where
"
we have another form kom for ten ". In dkom = 100, we
"
have /ul = u ?ten to kom, the usual ten" base.
prefixed
"
Score"

The most widely diffused word for "score" is knl in

some form or other. It occurs in Sharpa, Danjongka,
Sun war, Rong, Murmi, Toto, Khaling, Khambu, Tipura,
Deuri Chutiya, Garo, Atong, Aveng and Ruga, Angami,
Senia, Thukumi, Yachumi, Sopvoma, Pliadang, Khangoi,
Maram, Liyang, Kachin. Meithei, Audio, Chairel, Siyin,
Lai, Shonshe, Banjogi, Chinbok, Yawdwin, and Sho. It is
used as the base for higher numerals in Murmi, Sunwar,
Hong, Khaling, Toto, Khambu, Ruga Garo, Tipura, and
Deuri Chutiya. It occurs side by side witli knvi in
While we
may safely regard it as a loan-word
Tipura.
from Indo-Aryan sources, we may note (1) its distribution
and (2) its absence. It is perhaps easy to explain its

presence in any given area. It is not so easy to explain

why it misses some groups. It is found in decimal

as well as iu vigesimal systems.
systems,
Dim asa (Hills Kachari) has a form Iron.
and Dopdor have a form mesmir/phungu =
Tengsa
20 x 5 = 100.
Bailing and Thulung have score wrords asim and samt
which appear to hu related. Cf. Chang s'em in an-chi
ni-sem = ten two one, fifty. twenties =
Garo and Garo Atong have score words rung
Jalpaiguri
and vim respectively, which exhibit a similar relationship.

Tableng (kl), Tamlu (lid), and Mulling (tha) are perhaps

sd-o in m-o-unga-o =
related. Cf. Chang 100,
closely
and .svr-o-ehi =
twenty.
1 Thv.
Lnshti*, p. 2211.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIRETO-BURMAN DIALECTS 331

Phu as a score occurs in Meithei, Tainlu.

moaning
Khanii, and Mutonia.
Banpara,
Kezhama has me-chi, whore by analogy mo is a prefix
and chi the base. It is probably connected with the kul
group. (Jf. Rengnia oik.i and vom a ma-kei.
Sop
Mutonia has did =
twenty.

One hundred
I find three ways of expressing one hundred. The
first is a word. The second one
by separate regards
hundred as five twenties, and the third takes it as
ten tens.

The base rgya is found in the Tibetan group. Jt

becomes cha sa, ya, za, sha, ra, die as we into
ja pass
Assam. Whether these words from are directly derived
the Tibetan base or from the Indo-Aryan satem languages
is a question into which I do not now propose to enter.
We find ra, pra, kra, kri,kre,o%e,krat intermixed
curiously
with the ja cha, dialects. Mikir has pha. Sema has akhe,
while in Khoirao we have ki. Hai is the base in Empeo.
A rung, and Maram, while their neighbours the Kabuis
use fai, and uses kai. Wage in Miju Mishmi may
Liyang
connect the ra group with the hai bases. Aka has two
words, phogova and pliurrua, which exhibit the equation
= r. The Yak ha base is notable. In E. Dafla
(j ichurup
we get lug, while in Chulikata Mishmi we have mala, and
in Digaru Mishmi ondlam, while Miri has a base ling.
Khami has a word dmngvai.
The group which forms one hundred on a vigesimal
base is of interest. Murmi has bhogal nga, Rong has klui
faoign, Toto has ngd kai, Dliimal has ndbisa, Khambu
has oigdk khal, Balling has ngd dsim, Kanawri has oigd
nizzd, Kanashi has ngd biya, Garo of Jalpaiguri has
o'uotg buvga, Tipura has kuri bd, Deuri Chutiya has kira
moa, Tengsa has mesung phnoigu, Tamlu has puoigd,
Banpara has puga, as has Mutonia, while Chang has sd-o
332 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIHKTO-RURMAN DIALECTS

u-ngd-o. Thulung has ngo-sang and Khaling khdlbhong.

In all these cases the method of formation is quite clear.
I believe that the same method is employed in Ao tdlang,
in Khari in Hatiguria
tclang, telengd, in Miklai thengd,
in Thukumi tenydng, in Yachuini tenylm, in Tableng
tengd, and Mulling thinga. Lhota has tl ingya. The base
is kl, which occurs in Tableng and Mulung. the
Perhaps
ltangkas word nanas is also formed on this principle.
it should be na-n-sa, or "five-two-tens".
Perhaps Vayu
"
has cholok, or Hve scores".
nning
The last group to be mentioned is that which takes
one hundred as ten
thi-bong-kip in
tens. We have
Linibu (ten ten?), one in Rai, vok-sltd-shi in
fik-vi-tu1
Moshang,and d kom in Mru. Lohorong has ip-pong-pong.
We have in Linibu two other forms for "one hundred ".
mand thik and thi-kip. I think we may fairly regard
the latter as a contraction from or "one ten
thi-bong-kip,
ten ". To what group does the form mand thik belong ?
"
In Rai, we have two forms for ten", vi
again,
bhok-a-vi = bhok =
(e.g. fifty, where Wm^) and tu, which
may be viewed as belonging M
to the chu group.
The Moshang form vok-shd-shi or "ten ten one is
formed from two distinct bases. Rok is the. usual base,
while slid belongs to a distinct group (see above).
" "
1 have already remarked on the variety of ten bases
in Mru (see above).
The following dialects exhibit the extent to which,

omitting for the moment the questions whether the

various forms of kul for a score and the hundred words
are of Indo-Aryan origin, the Tibeto-Burman dialects
examined have made use of loan-words. Sunwar, Magar,
Thaini, Janggali, Lalung, and Koch borrow freely, some
more than others. Aka, Kachari, Dhimal, and Kanashi
have taken over bis, not kuri, for a score.

There are one or two other to which attention

points
1 fu ? chu = ten.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE T1BETO-RURMAN DIALECTS 333

may properly be drawn. The system used in Vayu is

notable (see LSR, iii, pt, i, p. 385). Tho numerals above
four are counted in hands, foot, and scores:
usually
thus, koln
goUkhulnp, hand entire = five, oidyung
ono

got'khulup, two hands entire = ten, ndyuoig gotldiulup

lid kolu goVkhulup, two hands entire with one hand
entire = fifteen, le got'khuhip, feet hands all =
twenty,
cholok or kohi cltolok, one score = twenty, Mining cholok,
fourscore = eighty, lining cholok or koln got cholok cholok,
fivescore = hundred.

In Miri and Dafla seven is a word two mon?

meaning "
"
than the hand
(vol. cit., p. 593). The word for eight
is literally four times two. Bodo, and Mech to a greater
extent than Bodo, have a system of counting by groups
of four (vol. iii, pt. ii, p. 132).
Ao and Angami form their numerals above sixteen in
an unusual manner. These numbers are denoted
by

expressions meaning 20 not brought 7 = 17, 20 not

8 = =
brought 18, and 20 not brought 9 1!). In Lhota
"
I find that sixteen is something like Ao, by four twenty
incomplete but also and more commonly ten plus six"
Jn Meithei we have n/pan and mclpan for eight and nine
"two and one from ten". Mikir,
respectively, meaning
has seven = six and and nine two
too, one, eight being
jind one from are grounds
ten. There
for thinking that
n similar method of forming the numerals for eight and
nine was in vogue among Dravidians (vol. iv, p. 292).
A comparison of the numerals in vol. ii of the
given
Linguistic Survey Report (Mon Khmer and Siamese-Chinese
Families) shows that the Khasi numerals, with a decimal
system prefixing the multiplier,1 are but little influenced
by their neighbours. Tin; numeral one shi is found
(supra, p. 320) in a number of Tibeto-Burman dialects close
to the Khasi Hills. War has zia for four, which resembles
1
The change of the huso (11 10) is notable. 7Vw is the regular
base. Khad is used for 11-19.
334 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OF TIBETO-RURMAN DIALECTS

dia, a base used in Dhimal. The base for six, riiv, has
some resemblance to a common base in Tibeto-Bunnan
dialects. The sevenis niew, to which we may
base find
a parallel in the nu base, q.v. Mikir pha ?100 may be
compared with Khasi spdh. The Tai dialects?Ahom,
Khamti, Tairong, and Nora?recorded in that volume
exhibit the influence of Tibeto-Burman contacts in several
details. They are decimal and prefix the multiplier. The
numerals one and two are related to the Shan, Siamese,
and Lao forms.1 The number three falls into line with
the mass of Tibcto-Burinan dialects, and is a feature of
the Eastern Shan languages. The numeral four is a base
si, which may be related to the zhi group. The numeral
five is lid, for which as a denasalized form of nga there
are parallels in Chinbok and Yanduin. The common form
for six is hole, with rule or ruh in Ahom. The two are

probably connected. The seven base is chet, which differs,

so far as I can see, from any Tibeto-Burman base. The
Tai form for eight is pet, and is distinctive. The Tai form
for nine is lean or kao, which may be taken as identical
with the Tibeto-Burman base ko. The ten base in the
Shan dialects is ship, parallels for which abound in the
Tibeto-Burman dialects. We have as a "score" word
in the Shan dialects which uses two tens)
(except Siamese,
sdo, which is found in Chang.
The vocabularies in the Gazetteer of Upper
given
Burma, vol.
i, pt. i, pp. 026-727, yield evidence of the
in that territory of numeral bases
presence interesting
are also found in the Tibeto -Burman dialects
which
recorded in the volumes of the Linguistic Survey, the
of which did not extend to Burma. In the
operations
are all decimal and
Karen group, p. 046, the dialects
The bases are often
prefix the multiplier. very obviously
associated with Tibeto-Burman forms. Thus to = one
falls into line with Burmese. Ama (Sauntung Zayein,
1
UBCL, p. 020.
 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TIJIKTO-MJKMAN DIALECTS 335

Karen, Padeng Zayein, and Banyang Zayein) is identical

with Meithei ama, which I correlate with ltengma me,
Yawdwin tn mat, and Sho mat. If we are justified in

regarding these two last forms as connected

apparently
with the Mon Khmer group languages, may
we notof
extend the connexion still further to the parallel forms '<
Nevertheless, the freaks and fantasies of phonetic growth
and decay in this area are such that seemingly identical
forms may be evolved out of totall}' distinct original
forms. The bases in the Karen group for two, three,
four, five, are all akin to one or other of the standard
group bases in the Tibeto-Burman dialects. At six conns
a break. Karenni, Yintale, and Mano have three, a form
three. They form seven as three, three, one ; as
eight
four, three ; nine as four, throe, one. The other dialects
recorded have distinct bases, with parallels iu Tibeto
Burman dialects. is sai or ser or si, which
The ten base
has interesting parallels in the Himalayan dialects as well
as closer at home in Burmese. The presence of Tibeto
Burman numeral bases in Mu Hso, Lolo,
Menghwa Ming

Ch'iang, Malic, Lisu, Muhu, Kadu, Akha (or Kaw), Ako,

Pyen, is well known.
It is clear to me despite that
the welter of variant
forms the Tibeto-Burman dialects are in their numeral
systems characterized by a remarkable degree of homo
geneity. AVe can trace changes to the coalescence of
prefixes with bases. The influence of prefixes and suffixes
on the form of
the bases to which they are affixed often
takes the
shape of a in the vowed in the base.
change
Consonants initial and final are liable to be lost with the
effect of causing a of the vowel.
compensatory lengthening
There are for consonants.1 One
regular equations group
will prefer one consonant
its equivalent, to
and the same
is true in certain cases of vowels. Nasalization of certain
sounds seems to be a feature of the of more
phonetics
1
Seo vol. iii, pt. ii, p. 197, quoting A. W. Davis.
330 NUMERAL SYSTEMS OE TI11ETO-IIUHMAN DIALECTS

than one group, and in one or two cases there is direct

evidence for thinking that a modification of vowel sounds
is related to a process of multiplication by which two
bases are coalesced. I recognize that it is extremely

probable that with fuller material the classifications

provisionally attempted above will have to be modified

in many respects. Whether they prove anything, except
the great difficulty of classifying so a group of
complex
I do not know. With the excepted cases
languages,
where references are given, I have utilized
special
throughout the volumes of the Report of the Linguistic

Survey of India, vol. iii, pts. i-iii.