48 



KTYMOLOCiY AND SYNTAX. 



r>,00(). ogheedoghnx) (200x25). 



6,000. egbata 

 7,000. t'd^gbarii) 

 8,000. egbariq 

 9,000. edegljarin] 

 10,000. egbannj 

 12,000. cgbafa 

 14,000. ogbcVUe 



(2000x3). 



(8000—1000). 



(2000x4). 



(10,000—1000). 



(2000x5). 



(2000x6). 



(2000x7). 



16,000. 

 18,000. 

 20,000. 



100,000. 



('glnidzo 

 egbjisaij 

 egbawa 



OJ' ok6 kaq 

 oke in anil) 



1,000,000. adota oke 

 2,000,000. ogonii) oke 



(2000x8). 

 (2000x9). 

 (2000x10), 

 {o7ie hag). 

 (5 bags). _ 

 (50 hags). 

 ( 100 fxirj.^). 



rOKJIATION OF CAKBXNALS. 



§ 210. The primitive numerals are the units from one to fe?i, and the numbers 

 twenty^ thirty^ and two hundred. Most or all of these might be referred to existing 

 Yoruba roots; but it would be difficult to establish any plausible connexion 

 between the meaning of the root and that of the numeral. The only exception is 

 igba (from gbtl, to sioee2y^ to collect into a heap., as by sweeping), a, .collection or 

 hea2)^ and hence two Imndred ; so called from the fact that, in counting cowries, the 

 Yorubas sweep each two hundred into a separate heap. This number is also called 

 igbeo (igba owo), a heap of money. 



Tlie number cdze, .•(CiW, appears to be 5 + 2 ; which makes it not improbable that the iatter units are 

 founded on the first five, as is the case in so many African languages. A more extensive and accurate 

 acquaintance, however, with the cognates of this language than is now possessed, would be necessary to 

 establish the fact. 



§ 211. The derivative numl>ers, which are by far the more numerous class, are 

 formed as follows : 



1. By appending tlie term nla, large^ to the four first units ; as, okaqld {great one)^ 

 eleven^ &c. 



2. By subtracting smaller numbers from larger round numbers; as, eed6gui) 

 (arui) di ogiiq, five from twenty)., fifteen ', eriqdil6gui) (erii) di li ogiii}, /ow?- 



from on twenty)., sixteen; adota (ewa di ota, ten from sixty)., fifty ; odviruq (oriiq 

 di iriqwo, one hundred from four hundred)., three hundred; odegbeta (orui) di 

 egbeta, one hundred from six hundred)., five hundred. 



3. By addition ; as, okar)lel6gur) (okaq 16 li ogiiq, one laid on twenty)., twenty- 

 one ; ewaleliigba (ewa le li igba, ten laid on two hundred)., two hundred and ten. 



4. By multiplication ; as, ogodi;i, sometimes contracted to od^i (ogur) ed^i, 

 twenty two or twenty ttoice), forty ; ogorui) or oriii) (ogiiq aruq, twenty five times), 

 one hundred; egbeta (igba eta, two hundred three times), six hundred; egba (igba 

 ^wa, two-hundred ten times), two tlwusand ; egbokaijla (igba okar)lii, ttvo hundred 

 eleven times), two thousand two hundred. 



§ 212. The fact that two hundred., two thousand., and tujenty tlioasand are round 

 numbers, is to be accounted for by their method of counting cowries as shown in 

 the followiuir taltle. 



