Ngakarimojong: Numbers (One to One Thousand)

Introduction 

Long and difficult to pronounce for many English speakers, Ngakarimojong numbers can appear rather intimidating at first glance. However, they adhere to a simple set of rules and, with some practice, they are relatively easy to master. It is important to note that, like all nouns, numbers are gendered and their prefixes must be modified in accordance with the gender of the noun that they are modifying.

epei/apei: one

ngiarei/ngaarei: two

ngiuni/ngauni: three

ngiomwon/ngaomwon: four

ngikan/ngakan: five

ngikanikapei/ngakanikapei: six

ngikanikarei/ngakanikarei: seven

ngikanikauni/ngakanikauni: eight

ngikanikaomwon/ngakanikaomwon: nine

ngitomon/ngatomon: ten

ngitomon ka epei: eleven

ngitomon ka ngiarei: twelve

ngitomon ka ngiuni: thirteen

ngitomon ka ngiomwon: fourteen

ngitomon ka ngikan: fifteen

ngitotomon ka ngikanikapei: sixteen

ngitomon ka ngikanikarei: seventeen

ngitomon ka ngikanikauni: eighteen

ngitomon ka ngikanikaomwon: nineteen

ngatomoniarei: twenty

ngatomoniarei ka epei: twenty one

ngatomoniarei ka arei: twenty two

ngatomoniarei ka ngiuni: twenty three

ngatomoniarei ka ngiomwon: twenty four

ngatomoniarei ka ngikan: twenty five

ngatomoniarei ka ngikanikapei: twenty six

ngatomoniarei ka ngikanikarei: twenty seven

ngatomoniarei ka ngikanikauni: twenty eight

ngatomoniarei ka ngikanikaomwon: twenty nine

ngatomoniuni: thirty

ngatomoniomwon: forty

ngatomonikan: fifty

ngatomonikanikapei: sixty

ngatomonikanikarei: seventy

ngatomonikanikauni: eighty

ngatomonikanikaomwon: ninety

apei miat: One hundred

alipu: One thousand

e.g.

Nakinai ngisilinga alipu atogyel ayong ecupa a Fanta: Give me a thousand shillings so I can buy a bottle of Fanta.

Eyakar ekapolon alore yok ngolo kinyaritai Lokol ngaatuk ngatomonikanikaomwon ka ngiomwon: The head of our household, Lokol, has ninety nine cows.

Abuni ayong akilot lokiitan a Loceng ka akeeberu ngina kaarei taparac: I’m going to the wedding of Loceng and his second wife tomorrow.

Ikiyakar iswa ngipeyok ngitomon ka ngikan lore kosi, anierai ecamete ikec akilot losuk a Kanawat: We have fifteen guests at our home, because they want to go to the market at Kanawat.

Elosit Lokiru namoni akilok ngapupui ngakanikapei: Lokiru has gone to the bush to hunt six hedgehogs.

Practice

Kingolik! Enapi Nacan amuk_____bon!: Look! Nacan is only wearing one shoe!

Abu kiwok edia ngol ngabeyeyi_______: That boy was carrying twenty eggs.

Aitani ayong ngsilinga_______kigyel amesek kingol: I need three hundred shillings to buy a sheep to slaughter.

Apotu ngapesur kinapis ngabwo______ : The girls wore sixteen goatskin skirts.

Eyakar ekonikitanda ngasukai______: Your bed has ten sheets.