Ilocano has two number systems: one is native and the other is derived from Spanish. The systems are virtually used interchangeably. Yet, the situation can dictate which system is preferred.
Typically, Ilocanos use native numbers for one through 10, and Spanish numbers for amounts of 10 and higher.
Specific time is told using the Spanish system and numbers for hours and minutes, for example, Alas dos/A las dos (2 o'clock).
For dates, cardinal Spanish numbers are the norm; for example, 12 (dose) ti Julio/Hulio (the twelfth of July).
As with other roots in the language, numbers can undergo various forms of agglutination. Cardinal Cardinal numbers are those used in counting.
Number Ilocano-Native Ilocano-Spanish Spanish / Spanish-style spelling 1 maysa unouno 2 dua dosdos 3 tallo trestres 4 uppat kuatrocuatro 5 lima singkocinco 6 innem saisseis 7 pito sietesiete 8 walo otsoocho 9 siam nuebenueve 10 sangapulo,Literally ten is one group of ten and twenty is two tens, etc.The numbers ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand and one million begin with sanga- a group of. Multiples above that do not and are treated like units; for example, dua a riwriw two million, NOT *dua a sangariwriw. pullo diesdiez 11 sangapulo ket maysa onseonce 12 sangapulo ket dua dosedoce 13 sangapulo ket tallo tresetrece 14 sangapulo ket uppat katorsecatorce 15 sangapulo ket lima kinsequince 16 sangapulo ket innem diesisaisdiez y seis, dieciséis 17 sangapulo ket pito diesisietediez y siete, diecisiete 18 sangapulo ket walo diesiotsodiez y ocho, dieciocho 19 sangapulo ket siam diesinuebediez y nueve, diecinueve 20 duapulo beinteveinte 21 duapulo ket maysa beintiunoveinte y uno, veintiúno 30 tallopulo treintatreinta31tallopulo ket maysatreinta y unotreinta y uno 40 uppat a pulo kuarentacuarenta 50 limapulo singkuentacincuenta 60 innem a pulo sesentasesenta 70 pitopulo setentasetenta 80 walopulo otsentaochenta 90 siam a pulo nobentanoventa 100 sangagasut,Similar to the tens, sangagasut is literally one group of a hundred, etc. gasut sien,Cien and Sien are used when only when meaning exactly 100. Ciento and Siento are used in conjunction with 101 and above. sientocien, ciento 101 sangagasut ket maysa siento y uno ciento y uno200duagasutdosientosdoscientos300tallogasuttresientostrescientos400uppat a gasutkuatrosientoscuatrocientos 500Five hundred is added here because of its exceptional formation in Spanish. limagasut kinientos quinientos600innem a gasutsaisientosseiscientos700pitogasutsetesientossetecientos800walogasutotsosientosochocientos900siam a gasutnobesientosnovecientos 1,000 sangaribo,Root: ribo; 2 000 is dua a ribo, etc. Note the explicit use of the ligature a ribo mil mil2,000duaribodos mildos mil5,000limaribosingko milcinco mil 10,000 sangalaksa,Root: laksa. Twenty thousand is dua a laksa, lit. two ten thousands. sangapulo nga ribo dies mil diez mil 100,000 sangagasut a ribo sien mil cien mil 1,000,000 sangariwriwRoot: riwriw milion millón
Numbers are connected to their nouns using the ligature a/nga.
maysa a botelia one bottle innem a riwriw a tao six million people
Ordinal To form the ordinal number (second, third, etc.), except for first, maika- is prefixed to the cardinal form. Note the exceptional forms for third, fourth and sixth. In some cases, Ilocano speakers tend to use Spanish ordinal numbers, especial in first, second, and third (primero/a, segundo/a, tersero/a).
Cardinal Ordinal Gloss maysa umuna (past: immuna) first dua maikadua second tallo maikatlo third uppat maikapat fourth lima maikalima fifth innem maikanem sixth pito maikapito seventh walo maikawalo eighth siam maikasiam ninth sangapulo maikasangapulo tenth
Aggregate With the group numbers (pulo, gasut, ribo, laksa and riwriw), infixing in indicates division. Unit Gloss Aggregate Gloss pulo ten pinullo by the tens, by the decade gasut hundred ginasut by the hundreds ribo thousand rinibo by the thousands laksa ten thousand linaksa by the ten-thousands, by the myriad riwriw million riniwriw by the millions Aggregate numbers have already been introduced: sangapulo, sangaribo, etc. Each is prefixed with sanga-. To form other groups, other numbers, and units of length, time or capacity can be used with sanga-. The alternate form is sangka-.
Unit Gloss Aggregate Gloss pulo ten sangapulo ten lima five sangalima a group of five igup swallow sangaigup a gulp iwa slice sangaiwa a slice of lamut in mouth sangalamut mouthful
Distributive Distributives are formed by prefixing sag- plus reduplication of the first CV (light reduplication) of the cardinal form or the unit. Distributives express so many each, so many a piece. Note the irregular forms for one each, three each, four each and six each. Cardinal Distributive Gloss maysa saggaysa one each, a piece dua sagdudua two each, a piece tallo saggatlo three each, a piece uppat sagpapat four each, a piece lima saglilima five each, a piece innem sagninem six each, a piece pito sagpipito seven each, a piece walo sagwawalo eight each, a piece mano sagmamano how many/much each, a piece doliar sagdodoliar a dollar each, a piece Saggatlokami. We take three each. Sagdodoliarda. They are one dollar each.
When used with pami(n)-, sagpami(n)-, the result is a distributive multiplicative: so many times each.
Sagpaminduakami a napan a nabuya diay sine. We each saw the movie twice.
Indefinite Indefinite numbers are formed by prefixing sumag- and CV reduplication of the first syllable of the cardinal form. In addition, to the cardinal numbers, sumag- can be used with the interrogative mano How much/many?.
Cardinal Indefinite Gloss dua sumagdudua about two tallo sumaggatlo about three uppat sumagpapat about four mano sumagmamano about how much/many
Limitative Limitatives express no more, no less than what the root number or aggregate specifies. It is formed by reduplicating the CVC (heavy reduplication) of the first syllable of the cardinal number or root form. sanga-/sangka- may be reduplicated, sangsanga-/sangsangka-, also to express limitation.
Cardinal Limitative Gloss maysa maymaysa only one dua dudua only two tallo taltallo only three uppat up-uppat only four sangaigup sangsangaigup only one gulp
Sangsangaigup ti nainumko I drank one gulp.
Multiplicative These adverbial numbers are formed by prefixing mami(n)- to the cardinal form. Note the forms for once, twice, three times/thrice. Perfect form: nami(n)-. There are cases when the word beses (from Sp. veces) replaces mami(n)- and nami(n)- prefixes (maysa beses, dua (nga) beses, etc.)
Cardinal Multiplicative Gloss maysa maminsan once dua mamindua two times, twice tallo mamitlo three times, thrice uppat mamimpat four times lima maminlima five times adu mamin-adu often, many times
Maminduakanto a mapan. You will go twice. Mamimpitok a nabuya. I've watched it seven times.
The multiplicatives can be limited by maminpi-/mamipin- (Perf: naminpi-/namipin-). Cardinal Limited Multiplicative Gloss maysa maminpinsan only once dua maminpindua only two times, twice tallo maminpitlo only three times, thrice uppat maminpimpat only four times lima maminpinlima only five times
The multiplicatives can be made ordinal with kapami(n)-. The resulting form is treated as a nominal and takes ergative agents. Cardinal Limited Multiplicative Gloss maysa kapaminsan only time dua kapamindua second time tallo kapamitlo third time uppat kapamimpat fourth time lima kapaminlima fifth time
Kapaminlimana ti agbuya iti dayta a pelikula. This is her fifth time to see that film.
Nakapamin- prefixed to numbers behaves as an adverb.
Nakapaminduana nga agpadawat iti kuarta. He solicited twice for money.
Fractional The denominator in fractions is prefixed by pagka-. Numbers such as sangapulo ten, sangagasut hundred, etc. drop the sanga- prefix before taking the prefix.
Cardinal Denominator Gloss tallo pagkatlo third innem pagkanem sixth sangagasut pagkagasut hundredth maysa a pagkatlo one third lima a pagkagasut 5 percent
Divisional Divisional numbers are formed by prefixing agka- and denote into how many parts something is divided. The perfective is nagka-.
Agkawalonto ti "apple pie". The apple pie will be divided into eight (pieces). Nagkawalo ti "apple pie". The apple pie was divided into eight (pieces).
See also Ilocano language Languages of the Philippines
Notes