X Numerals
The numerals in Malay are exceedingly simple. The first ten are:—
1. sa, satu, suatu, one.
2. dua, two.
3. tiga, three.
4. ampat, four.
5. lima, five.
6. anam, six.
7. tujoh, seven.
8. dĕlapan, eight.
9. sambilan, nine.
10. sapuloh, ten.
From eleven to nineteen inclusive the numerals are formed from the digits with the termination bĕlas:—
11. sa-bĕlas, eleven.
12. dua-bĕlas, twelve.
13. tiga-bĕlas, thirteen.
14. ampat-bĕlas, fourteen.
15. lima-bĕlas, fifteen.
16. anam-bĕlas, sixteen.
17. tujoh-bĕlas, seventeen.
18. dĕlapan-bĕlas, eighteen.
19. sambilan-bĕlas, nineteen.
20. dua-puloh, twenty.
Multiples of ten up to ninety inclusive have the termination puloh, ten:—
20. dua-puloh, twenty.
30. tiga-puloh, thirty.
40. ampat-puloh, forty.
50. lima-puloh, fifty.
60. anam-puloh, sixty.
70. tujoh-puloh, seventy.
80. dĕlapan-puloh, eighty.
90. sambilan-puloh, ninety.
The intermediate numbers are formed simply by adding the units; as—
21. dua-puloh-satu, twenty-one.
32. tiga-puloh-dua, thirty-two.
43. ampat-puloh-tiga, forty-three.
54. lima-puloh-ampat, fifty-four.
65. anam-puloh-lima, sixty-five.
76. tujoh-puloh-anam, seventy-six.
87. dĕlapan-puloh-tujoh, eighty-seven.
98. sambilan-puloh-dĕlapan, ninety-eight.
Above a hundred the numbers proceed with equal regularity:—
100. sa-ratus, one hundred.
200. dua-ratus, two hundred.
300. tiga-ratus, three hundred.
400. ampat-ratus, four hundred.
1000. sa-ribu, one thousand.
2000. dua-ribu, two thousand.
3000. tiga-ribu, three thousand.
4000. ampat-ribu, four thousand.
Any sum, however great, may be expressed by the numerals in juxtaposition without the insertion of a conjunction; as, sa-ribu-dĕlapan-ratus-tujoh-puloh-sambilan, one thousand eight hundred (and) seventy nine, 1879.
Certain terms for high numbers have been borrowed from the Sanskrit language and misapplied in adoption, namely, laḳsa (Sansk. laksha, 100,000), keti (Sansk. koṭi, 10,000,000), and juta (Sansk. ayuta, 10,000).
The numbers represented by these words in Malay are sa-laḳsa, ten thousand; sa-keti, one hundred thousand; sa-juta, one million.
In reckoning the numbers from 20 to 30, lekor, a score, is sometimes used instead of dua-puloh (especially in mentioning dates), but in that case the unit precedes instead of following the decimal; as sa-lekor, twenty-one; dua-lekor, twenty-two; tiga-lekor, twenty-three, &c.
To express a quantity which approaches what we call a round number, it is sometimes convenient to state the latter qualified by the figure in which it is deficient, as is done in the old-fashioned phrase “forty stripes save one.” Thus, instead of sambilan-puloh-dĕlapan, ninety-eight, the phrase korang dua sa-ratus, one hundred save two, may be used.
The use of the word tengah, half, before a numeral serves in the same way to reduce it by half of one. Thus, tengah dua signifies “one and a half,” or “two, less half a one,” as if the full phrase were korang sa-tengah dua; so tengah tiga-puloh, twenty-five (lit. “three tens save half”); tengah lima ratus, four hundred and fifty (lit. “five hundreds save half”).
Ordinal Numbers pertama (Sansk. prathama), first.
ka-dua, second.
ka-tiga, third.
ka-sa-bĕlas, eleventh.
ka-dua-puloh, twentieth.
ka-sa-ratus, hundredth.
The word yang placed before ordinals corresponds to the definite article in English; as yang pertama, the first; yang ka-dua, the second; yang ka-sa-ribu, the thousandth.
Fractional Numbers
Tengah, sa-tengah, half; suku, sa-suku, quarter; sa-per-dua, one-half; sa-per-tiga, one-third; dua-per-tiga, two-thirds; tiga-per-ampat, three-fourths. Similar fractions may be formed with other numbers by placing the particle per between the dividend and the divisor.
Collective Numbers
Phrases like “a score,” “a dozen,” “a couple,” are formed in Malay by the use of the particle ber with the numeral; as—
ber-dua, the two, or the pair.
ber-tiga, the three.
ber-puloh-puloh, by tens.
be-ratus-ratus, by hundreds.
be-ribu-ribu, by thousands.
The word ganda, which in Hindustani is a collective numeral meaning “a four,” is used in Malay in conjunction with numerals in a sense corresponding to the English word “times;” as dua-ganda, double, twice; tiga-ganda, triple, three times.
Numeral Co-Efficients
In Malay, as in Burmese, Siamese, and Chinese, “there exists a set of specific and technical terms, called by the grammarians numeral affixes, some one or other of which is always used as a co-efficient to the numeral, the term being selected according to the class under which the object falls.”7 The use of these terms will be best understood by comparing it with the analogous use in English of such phrases as so many head of cattle; so many file of soldiers; so many sail of ships; so many stand of rifles.
1. Orang (person or persons) is introduced in the enumeration of mankind; as China tiga orang, Malayu sa’orang, three Chinese and a Malay; budak dua orang, two children.
2. Ekor (tail) is employed in speaking of animals; as sa-ekor kuching, a cat; kuda bĕlang dua ekor, two piebald horses; ikan kechil-kechil barang lima anam ekor, about five or six small fish.
3. Buah (fruit) is applied to fruit, houses, ships, places, &c.; as sa-buah rumah, a house; sa-buah nĕgri, a town or kingdom; lima buah kapal, five ships.
4. Biji (seed) is applied to small objects more or less round; as buah manggis lima-puloh biji, fifty mangostins; ampat biji telor, four eggs; nior muda sa-biji, one green cocoa-nut.
5. Halei or lei, to tenuous objects, such as hair, feathers, leaves, wearing apparel, &c.; as bulu sa-lei, a feather; kain Palembang sa-puloh halei, ten Palembang sarongs.
6. Batang (stem), to long objects; as lembing dua batang, two spears; tiang ampat batang, four posts.
7. Puchuk (young shoot), to letters, muskets, cannon, elephants’ tusks, &c.; as tiga puchuk surat, three letters; sa-puchuk gading, one tusk: snapang lima puchuk, five muskets.
8. Keping (piece, slice), to pieces of wood, metal, &c.; as papan sa-keping, a plank; timah tiga-puloh keping, thirty slabs of tin.
9. Tangga (ladder) and pintu (door), to houses; as rumah dua tangga, two houses; rumah batu anam pintu, six brick houses.
10. Lapis (fold), to clothing; as kapan sa-lapis, a shroud.
11. Rawan, to nets and cordage; as pukut sa-rawan, a seine net; jala dua rawan, two casting nets.
12. Bilah, to cutting weapons; as kris sa-bilah, one kris; pĕdang lima bilah, five swords.
13. Buntoh, to rings, fish-hooks, &c.; as kail sa-buntoh, a fish-hook; chinchin tiga buntoh, three rings.
14. Bidang, to things spread out; as destar sa-bidang, one head-cloth.
15. Butir, to fruit, seeds, and other small round objects; as nior sa-butir, a cocoa-nut; mutiara sa-butir, a pearl.
There are many other similar idiomatic terms, examples of which will be given in the more advanced lessons farther on.