Numerals
From Sereer wiki
Jump to navigationJump to searchNumeral adjectives in Sereer function syntactically like all other adjectives, but exhibit irregular inflection patterns. In addition to initial consonant alternations, numerals exhibit vowel alternations in different noun classes. Numerals take regular NC prefixes and initial consonant mutations, but show at most three different vowel configurations; one when used in isolation as a counting word, one when used with the person NC, and one for all (?) other NCs.
Number Isolation or k class w or fn class Other noun classes 1 leng leng -leng 2 ƭik ɗik -ƭak 3 tadik daduk -tadak 4 naxiq naxu(q) -naxaq / -naaq 5 ƥetik ɓetuk -ƥetak 6 ƥetuu fo leng ɓetuu fo leng -ƥetaa fo leng 7 ƥetuu ƭik ɓetuu ɗik -ƥetaa ƭak 8 ƥetuu tadik ɓetuu daduk -ƥetaa tadak 9 ƥetuu naxiq ɓetuu naxuq -ƥetaa naxaq
The numeral 1000 june' undergoes mutation when appropriate: rew june' '1000 women', pañiik cune' '1000 elephants'. All other numbers are invariant.
- 10: xarɓaxay
- 20: xarɓaxay ƭik
- etc.
- 100: teemeed
- 200: teemeed ƭik
- etc.
However, the number in the ones digit always shows the appropriate agreement, even in higher numbers.
- xaƥox teemeed ƭik fo xarɓaxay ƥetik fo xatadak
- '253 dogs'