Numbers in Solresol



Learn numbers in Solresol

Knowing numbers in Solresol is probably one of the most useful things you can learn to say, write and understand in Solresol. Learning to count in Solresol may appeal to you just as a simple curiosity or be something you really need. Perhaps you have planned a trip to a country where Solresol is the most widely spoken language, and you want to be able to shop and even bargain with a good knowledge of numbers in Solresol.

It's also useful for guiding you through street numbers. You'll be able to better understand the directions to places and everything expressed in numbers, such as the times when public transportation leaves. Can you think of more reasons to learn numbers in Solresol?

Invented by the French Jean-François Sudre from 1827 on and published posthumously in 1866, Solresol is an artificial language based on the seven musical notes from C (do) to B (si). As it can be represented in many ways, such as by words, sounds, colors, digits, or notes drawn on a written stave or figured by four fingers, it has vocation for universality. Fell into disuse after some success at the beginning of the twentieth century, it is not really practised anymore.

List of numbers in Solresol

Here is a list of numbers in Solresol. We have made for you a list with all the numbers in Solresol from 1 to 20. We have also included the tens up to the number 100, so that you know how to count up to 100 in Solresol. We also close the list by showing you what the number 1000 looks like in Solresol.

  • 1) redodo
  • 2) remimi
  • 3) refafa
  • 4) resolsol
  • 5) relala
  • 6) resisi
  • 7) mimido
  • 8) mimire
  • 9) mimifa
  • 10) mimisol
  • 11) mimila
  • 12) mimisi
  • 13) midodo
  • 14) mirere
  • 15) mifafa
  • 16) misolsol
  • 17) milala
  • 18) misisi
  • 19) fafado
  • 20) fafare
  • 30) fafami
  • 40) fafasol
  • 50) fafala
  • 60) fafasi
  • 70) fafasi mimisol
  • 80) fadodo
  • 90) fadodo mimisol
  • 100) farere
  • 1,000) famimi
  • one million) fasolsol
  • one billion) falala
  • one trillion) fasisi

Numbers in Solresol: Solresol numbering rules

Each culture has specific peculiarities that are expressed in its language and its way of counting. The Solresol is no exception. If you want to learn numbers in Solresol you will have to learn a series of rules that we will explain below. If you apply these rules you will soon find that you will be able to count in Solresol with ease.

The way numbers are formed in Solresol is easy to understand if you follow the rules explained here. Surprise everyone by counting in Solresol. Also, learning how to number in Solresol yourself from these simple rules is very beneficial for your brain, as it forces it to work and stay in shape. Working with numbers and a foreign language like Solresol at the same time is one of the best ways to train our little gray cells, so let's see what rules you need to apply to number in Solresol

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  • The numeration proceeds by periods of six numbers, each number being a name made of three notes, never repeating the same note three times (an implicit rule of Solresol).
  • From one to six, words begin with re, the second note is discriminating and repeated once, with the exception of re: redodo [1], remimi [2], refafa [3], resolsol [4], relala [5], and resisi [6]. Zero is soldo, which means nothing.
  • From seven to twelve, the two first notes are mimi, the third one being cyclical, mi not being represented: mimido [7], mimire [8], mimifa [9], mimisol [10], mimila [11], and mimisi [12].
  • We then go to the next series, from thirteen to eighteen, which first note is mi and the second cycling from do to si (bypassing mi) and repeated once: midodo [13], mirere [14], mifafa [15], misolsol [16], milala [17], and misisi [18].
  • The next series goes from nineteen to sixty, its two first notes are fafa, the third one cycling from do through si (bypassing fa): fafado [19], fafare [20], fafami [30], fafasol [40], fafala [50], and fafasi [60].
  • We then go to eighty, then to the powers of ten, beginning with fa followed by the cycle from do to si, repeated once (and bypassing fa): fadodo [80], farere [100], famimi [1,000], fasolsol [million], falala [billion], fasisi [trillion].
  • By construct, Solresol belongs to the short scale numbering systems as each scale number multiple of one thousand has a name (fasolsol [million], falala [billion], fasisi [trillion]).
  • It could be interesting to think about the bigger scale names. Logical series for 1015, 1018 and 1021 would be either soldore (to copy), soldomi (to imitate) and soldofa (example), or soldodo (Sunday), solrere (past) and solmimi (present). As Solresol is based on a very restricted set of notes, neologisms quickly come into conflict with existing words if we want to keep their internal logic (here the fact that a number is made of three syllables).
  • Numbers in different languages