48 



ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX. 



FORMATION OF CARDINALS. 



§ 210. The primitive numerals are the units from one to ten^ 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 gbd, to sioe^, to collect into a lieap^ as 'by sweeping), a collection or 

 heap., and hence two hundred • 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 ow6), a heap of money. 



The number edze, seven, appears to be 5 + 2 ; which makes it not improbable that the latter 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 numbers, which are by far the more numerous class, are 

 formed as follows : 



1. By appending the term nld, large^ to the four first units ; as, okagM (great one)., 

 eleven^ &c. 



2. By subtracting smaller numbei's from larger round numbers; as, ^ed6gui) 

 (aruq di oguq, five from twenty)., fifteen / erii)dil6gui) (eriq di li ogiiq, four 



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

 di iriqwo, one hundred from four hundred)., three hundred ^ od^gbeta (oruq di 

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



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

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



4. By multiplication ; as, ogod:&i, sometimes contracted to od^i (ogiiq edi;i, 

 twenty two or twenty twice)., forty ; ogoruq or oriiq (ogtiq aruq, twenty five times), 

 one hundred; egb6ta (igba eta, two hundred three times), six hundred; egba (igba 

 ewa, two-hundred ten times), two thousand ; egb6kar)la (igba okayld, two hundred 

 eleven times), two thousand t^vo hundred. 



§ 212. The fact that two hundred, two thousand, and twenty thxmsand are round 

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

 the following table. 



