Numbers in Kotava
Numbers in Kotava follow a decimal system with a highly regular and transparent structure. Spoken by a small community of enthusiasts worldwide, Kotava is an international auxiliary language created in 1978 by Staren Fetcey. Its counting system is unique due to its strict phonetic rules and regular formation of compound numbers. The language's design emphasizes clarity and simplicity, making numbers easy to learn and pronounce. As a constructed language, Kotava's numbers in Kotava are built systematically, combining roots for digits, tens, hundreds, and larger scales. This approach makes the language particularly logical and accessible for learners and speakers of diverse backgrounds.
Number system
Kotava uses a decimal system where digits from zero to nine are represented by roots suffixed with 'oy'. For example, nedoy [0], tanoy [1], toloy [2], baroy [3], balemoy [4], aluboy [5], tevoy [6], peroy [7], anyustoy [8], and lerdoy [9]. Tens are formed by adding 'san' after the digit root, such as sanoy for 10 (from tanoy), tol-sanoy for 20 (from toloy), and so on up to lerd-sanoy for 90. Compound numbers between 21 and 99 are created by linking the unit and ten roots with a hyphen, e.g., tol-san-aluboy [25] (20 + 5), tev-san-tevoy [66] (60 + 6). Hundreds are formed by combining the digit root with 'decemoy' (e.g., tol-decemoy [200], bar-decemoy [300]), and larger scales follow similarly, with thousands, ten-thousands, and beyond, using roots like decitoy [1,000], kunoy [10,000], vuntoy [100,000], and so forth. Compound numbers are built by stacking these elements, e.g., balem-decem-alub-san-anyustoy [458].
Counting rules
Digits from zero to nine
Digits are represented by roots suffixed with 'oy': nedoy [0], tanoy [1], toloy [2], baroy [3], balemoy [4], aluboy [5], tevoy [6], peroy [7], anyustoy [8], lerdoy [9]. For example, 0 is nedoy, 1 is tanoy, and 9 is lerdoy.
Forming tens
Tens are formed by adding 'san' after the digit root: tan-sanoy [10], tol-sanoy [20], bar-sanoy [30], up to lerd-sanoy [90]. For example, 30 is bar-sanoy, and 70 is per-sanoy.
Compound numbers from 21 to 99
Numbers like 25 and 66 are formed by linking the unit and ten roots with a hyphen: tol-san-aluboy [25], tev-san-tevoy [66]. For example, 42 is tol-san-balemoy (20 + 4), and 78 is per-san-tevoy (70 + 8).
Hundreds
Hundreds are formed by combining the digit root with 'decemoy': tol-decemoy [200], bar-decemoy [300], etc. For example, 458 is balem-decem-alub-san-anyustoy, combining 4 (balemoy), 100 (decemoy), 5 (aluboy), and 8 (anyustoy).
Larger scales
Thousands, ten-thousands, and larger numbers are formed using roots like decitoy [1,000], kunoy [10,000], vuntoy [100,000], etc. Compound numbers are built by stacking these, e.g., tev-kun-per-decem-per-san-lerdoy [60,779].
Unique features
The number 6 (tevoy) is formed by combining roots for 5 (balemoy) and 1 (tanoy), showing a quinary influence: tevoy (6) is not directly derived from a base-10 pattern.
Unlike many languages, Kotava's counting system is entirely regular with no exceptions, making it highly logical and easy to learn.
Large numbers are built by stacking roots for scales like million (celemoy) and billion (felemoy), e.g., 1,000,000 is celemoy, and 1,000,000,000 is felemoy.
The language borrows no words for numbers; all roots are constructed systematically, emphasizing its artificial yet transparent nature.
Despite its artificial roots, Kotava maintains phonetic simplicity, with all roots fitting into a 24-letter Latin alphabet.
Cultural context
Kotava is an international auxiliary language designed to foster global communication. Although spoken by a small community, its creators envisioned it as a neutral linguistic tool. The language's numbers are used in trade, mathematics, and cultural exchanges, emphasizing clarity and universality. As a constructed language, it does not have traditional cultural taboos or superstitions related to numbers. However, its systematic structure reflects a cultural value of order and logic. The use of large scale numbers like celemoy (million) and felemoy (billion) indicates its potential for expressing vast quantities, useful in scientific and technological contexts. Its neutral status encourages its use in international diplomacy and cooperation.
Fun facts
Fact 1: The number 66 is tev-san-tevoy, literally 60 + 6, showing how compound numbers are systematically built.
Fact 2: Unlike English, which has irregularities in number words (e.g., seventeen, nineteen), Kotava's numbers are entirely regular and predictable.
Fact 3: The roots for digits are consistent across scales, making learning large numbers easier once the basic roots are mastered.
Fact 4: Staren Fetcey, the creator of Kotava, designed the language to be culturally neutral, with no influence from any natural language.
Fact 5: Large numbers like 10^24 (septillion) are formed by stacking roots: yungoy, which combines multiple scale roots systematically.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Kotava?
1 is tanoy, 2 is toloy, 3 is baroy, 4 is balemoy, 5 is aluboy, 6 is tevoy, 7 is peroy, 8 is anyustoy, 9 is lerdoy, and 10 is sanoy (from tanoy).
What number base does Kotava use?
Kotava uses a decimal (base-10) system, evidenced by the roots for 10 (sanoy), 20 (tol-sanoy), and the formation of numbers like 25 (tol-san-aluboy).
How do you say 42 in Kotava?
42 is tol-san-balemoy, combining 20 (tol-sanoy) and 4 (balemoy).
How do you say 100 in Kotava?
100 is tol-decemoy, formed by combining 2 (tolooy) with 'decemoy' for hundred.
How many people speak Kotava?
The exact number of speakers is unknown, but it is spoken by a small international community of enthusiasts.
Is Kotava related to other languages?
Kotava is a constructed auxiliary language with no direct relation to natural language families; it was designed independently with artificial roots.
What makes Kotava counting unique?
Its complete regularity and logical structure, with roots for digits, scales, and compound formation, make its counting system highly systematic and transparent.
Sources
- Kotava grammar: the determiners (pdf, in French)
- Kotava, the universal language of communication