Information about counting in Wapishana (Wapixana), a Northern Arawakan language spoken in Guyana and Brail.
If any of the numbers are links, you can hear a recording by clicking on them. If you can provide recordings, please contact me.
| Numeral | Cardinal numbers |
|---|---|
| 1 | bauda’apa, pa-uuda’apa [its seed] |
| 2 | dya’utam, paminauda’u tuma [with a companion] |
| 3 | idikinauda’u, idiki-nao kawana’ati-uda’ [according to the (number of) stones under a pot] |
| 4 | pamina’utam-kida, paminauda’u tuma kida [each with his companion] |
| 5 | baka’iauda’u, bauda’apa ka’ui-uda’u [one hand] |
| 6 | bauda’apa-bakaunu’iti [one to its hand (five fingers plus one other finger)] |
| 10 | baokooka’u, baoko waka’u [both our hands (ten fingers)] |
| 11 | bauda’apa-wakidiba’iti [one toe to our foot (ten fingers and one toe)] |
| 15 | badaarapa-wakidiba’iti [one side to our foot (ten fingers, five toes)] |
| 16 | bauda’apa-bakidibanu’iti [one toe to the other foot (ten fingers, five toes on one foot and one on the other)] |
| 20 | banupapa-pidan, bauda’apa pidan nannaa [a whole person’s body (all twenty fingers and toes on one person)] |
| 21 | banupapa-pidan bauda’apa-powa’a [a whole person and one more] |
| 22 | banupapa-pidan-dya’utam-powa’a [a whole person and two more] |
| 30 | banupapa-pidan-baokooka’u-powa’a [a whole person’s body and both hands more] |
| 40 | dya’utam-pidan-nannaa [two people’s bodies] |
| 50 | dya’utam-pidan-nannaa-baokooka’u-powa’a [two people’s bodies and both hands more] |
| 100 | baka’iauda’u-pidan-nannaa [five people’s bodies] |
| 101 | baka’iauda’u-pidan-nannaa-bauda’apa-powa’a [five people’s bodies and one more] |
Source: Scholar's Dictionary and Grammar of the Wapishana language. Tominpainao Ati'o Wapichan Paradan Parada-karu na'iki Paradauzo-karu kaduzu. Wapishana Language Project, Guyana 2000.
Information compiled by Wolfgang Kuhl
Information about Wapishana | Numbers
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Apurinã, Arawak, Baniwa, Baure, Garifuna, Paraujano, Paresi, Piapoco, Wapishana, Wayuu, Yine
Alphabetical index | Language family index
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