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1. Survey of numerals

In Spocanian, two numeral systems are used:

1. The classic system is based on the "sacred" numbers erg (14) and rân (36). In this system there are special numbers up to 14, while 15 beschouwd is "14+1" or erg-ér, and 16 is "14+2" or erg-ten, etcetera.
   Furthermore, the following two numerals are also derived from erg: heferg (in fact "holfe-erg" or "half-erg", being 7) and tenerg (or "two times erg i.e. 28), while tenrân is derived from rân ("two times rân" i.e. 72). The remaining numerals are based on either 14 or 36, and the way in which this is done can be seen in the list below.

2. The numerical system is based on (more or less) regularly formed decimals, entirely analogous to languages like English, Swedish or Spanish. Here, regularity is carried to such an extent that even numbers like 11 en 12 are compounded of 10+1 en 10+2 (cf. 13=10+3, etcetera). But the "classic" numerals lÿn (11), tesen (12), râsen (13) and erg (14) are so generally used that they are also found in the numerical system.

Spocanian does not have a word for "one thousand" (1000), but uses the compounded main-pérsa (10x100) for this. However, there is in fact a word for 10,000, i.e. plâr.
As regards the rest, see the list below.

The classic system is used in colloquial speech when referring to numbers and doing simple sums. For more complex calculations, one preferably uses the numerical system. In a scientific and a financial situation, one nowadays always prefers the numerical system, also in referring to simple numbers.

In the list below, numerals marked with an asterisk (*) are necessarily singular.

Instead of a dot between hundreds (like in Dutch), one formerly used to put a dot between thousands (in Spocanian multiples of one hundred) as well as after hundreds of thousands. The way the dots split up the numbers corresponds with how they are pronounced, but nowadays this is replaced more and more by the international system (however, dots are used in stead of commas, the latter typically being the Anglo-Saxon custom).

2. Arithmetic in Spocanian

Ordinal numbers are the numbers followed by the suffix -tef: durtef (third), maintef (tenth), âksta-serstef (86th), tenrân-erg-râsentef (99th), etcetera. Exception: in âke (8) the final e is dropped when -tef is added: âktef (eighth).
In numbers written with figures, -tef is abbreviated as f: 1f (1st), 10f (10th), 92f (92nd), etcetera.

Fractions are expressed with the preposition mip (from; out of), followed by an ordinal number, e.g.: dur mip hefergtef (three-seventh), ér mip pérsatef (one-hundredth). In stead of ér mip tentef (one-second), the word eft holfe (a half) is used. And in stead of ér mip fârtef (one-fourth) and dur mip fârtef (three-fourth), the forms ér korter (one quarter) and dur korters (three quarters) are preferred.

Arithmetic operations are expressed as follows (expressions according to the numerical system are highlighted in green):

© De Twee Hanen v.o.f. • Kimswerd • The Netherlands

DA 77-101082 • SPARC 04 Apr 1991