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Numbers in use
Put a number word on a label, a clock or date, a unit amount, a from–to band, or an everyday percent. How the number word itself is built (markers, endings, exponents, writing) is in numbers.md.
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Intermediate
Digit-strings
Write a code (phone, room, channel, serial) with marker ro (written _). Leave exponents off. Prefer groups of three digits when digits are present.
Ending is usually -l (exact label); -n for an official designation; -r to resume a prior code. Digitless d=_ / g=_ and digitless …_ mean some code / an unspecified label. Digit-strings take no plus or minus: see Sign.
Bare /h/ + ro is clock (h_15,30, digitless h_). Bare /h/ + roe is date (h_#22,7,2026). For a non-time code as a when-frame, use a host relation + /b/ (/h/ on + b_7 channel 7), or put /ɡ/ on a noun.
Time
Clock and calendar use digit-string grammar. Clock is bare /h/ + ro (spoken hro, written h_…). Date is the same digit-string identity with calendar-ordinal marker vowel oe (spoken hroe, written h_#…).
| Job | How |
|---|---|
| Clock / schedule | Digit-string ro as bare /h/. Default 24h. Fields left to right; commas are writing only: hour, minute, optional seconds (h_15,30, h_15,30,00). Digitless h_ = at some (unspecified) clock time. |
| Calendar date | Digit-string _ with calendar-ordinal marker vowel oe (spoken roe, written h_#…; same digraph pattern as reu). The marker makes the whole word a date, so fields read by position: day, month, optional year (h_#22,7, h_#22,7,2026; modifier g_#22,7). You do not guess which number is the month, so zero-padding is optional style. Write a year as one digit group regardless of length (2026 is one group). Digitless h_ likewise covers an unspecified date when context is calendric. An explicit date host + /b/ is optional when you want to name the relation. |
| Duration | Scalar ra / ru plus a lexicon unit in a measure phrase: SI anelo (second) or civil ume (time / hours). Same engineering-exponent habits as other measures when useful. |
| Deixis / tense | Ordinary lexicon /h/ (yesterday, ago, until, evidentiality / closed mood). Numbers appear only for a numeric payload (3 days ago = relation + scalar + unit). |
| Non-time digit labels | Host relation + /b/ (/h/ on + b_101.1), or /ɡ/ on a noun (channel g_7). |
A count of minutes on a clock face is still a digit-string (h_15,30), not a scalar packed as one integer. h+3 is ×3 / three times; h#3 is for the third time. Timezone, era, and calendar system are ordinary lexicon /h/ beside the number word.
Endings: -l exact; -m fuzzy (around 15:30); -n conventional schedule or date name; -r resume a prior clock or date (digitless h=_ = that time/date again). Digitless h_ is not restrictor har (sometime): see digitless.
Measure phrases
A measure is a lexicon unit noun plus a scalar amount on that unit.
Shape: unit as the head noun in the needed slot; amount as ordinary /ɡ/ scalar on that unit:
| Slot | Shape | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
Argument of a complex /ɡ/ / /h/ | burulel g+2 | two meters |
| Subject / object / … | zanelol g+3, daragal g+5 | three seconds, five grams |
| Modifier on a noun | gurulel g+2 on a host | rare; prefer unit as /b/ or a freestanding NP |
Same endings and fuzzy -m habits as other number words on the amount (g~+2 ≈ about two). The unit is ordinary lexicon (reference suffixes as usual).
Bare unit vs titled unit (x+1)
Measure phrases use published metaphorical roots (dimension / quantity metaphors). Speech uses those roots, not Latin-style abbreviations (m, kg, s, …).
| Register | Shape | Example | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short / default | bare unit + amount | burulel g+2 | ordinary measure phrases: the scalar licenses the unit reading |
| Full / titled | unit + digit morph +1 (unit / primary) | burulexrawon g+2 | you need the named unit of that dimension versus the ordinary metaphor (measurement, heaviness, …) |
| Resume | short resume or -r | bur / burulexrawor | after the unit NP is on the table |
Spelled …xrawol / …xrawon: numeric derivation (ROOTx+1). Prefer -n on the titled form when the unit is a conventional SI name; -l when naming a unit-instance without that title force. Soft -m hedges amount or unit, not a short name.
Bare is enough when the measure reading is clear (baragal g+70 ≈ 70 grams). Use …x+1 when the same root is also active as a quality or continuum (how heavy, passage of time, heat) and the unit reading must stay distinct: same habit as normative Mine zugoboxrawon vs performance zugobon (comparatives).
Stock units
| SI / everyday unit | Unit (metaphor) | Bare measure | Titled unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| meter | urule 📏 measurement | burulel | burulexrawon |
| gram | araga 🪨 heaviness | baragal | baragaxrawon |
| second | anelo 🕰️ passage | banelol | baneloxrawon |
| liter | ozobo 🥄 portion | bozobol | bozoboxrawon |
| ampere | ejelo 🪼 flow | bejelol | bejeloxrawon |
| kelvin | ebebe 🌶️ heat | bebebel | bebeboxrawon |
| mole | emema 🍖 substance | bememal | bememaxrawon |
| candela | anede 🕯️ awash | banedel | banedexrawon |
Civil duration (hours, days) uses continuum ume 🕐 time as the unit (bumel g+3 ≈ three hours). SHARED range continua stay gumel / gurulel as the line needs (ranges). Temperature continuum edehe 🌡️ temperature grades heat without naming kelvin.
Common derived (optional): newton ubunu force; pascal abama pressure; joule adero energy; watt obodu power; hertz urumu rhythm; ohm onugo blockage; coulomb uruhu charge; radian erelo cycle. Same bare / …x+1 habit.
Scale the amount
Keep the base unit. Put the power of ten on the amount (e3 / e-3 / an exact count): burulel g+5400 or burulel g+5.4e3; baragal g+70e3. There is no dictionary kilo- / milli- / mega- stem; you scale the number.
Measured differentials (two meters taller) put that measure NP as the single /b/ on the SHARED scale adjective of a comparative:
zazawan zululon zel gomonam burulel g+2 → Azawan is two meters more challenging than Ululon
Vague degree stays /w/ on the scale (zel wogegal gomonam …) with no unit. Duration and other clause measures use the same unit+amount habit in whatever slot the relation needs.
Ranges
A range is two number words inside a phrase fence, plus a SHARED continuum /ɡ/ naming the line (time, price, measure, …). That /ɡ/ is the same SHARED slot comparatives use, but here it names a dimension / quantity continuum, not an entity-ranking scale. Fence join vowels, endings, revision, and -r follow coordination; the continuum is what makes the fence a range.
All three together:
- Exactly two endpoints that are the same kind of number word (both scalar, both ordinal, or both digit-string / time).
- Join
a/e/ue/ua(or those vowels’ -r). - A SHARED continuum
/ɡ/immediately after the join (lexicon line, or stockgurulelwhen the line is pure numeric or already clear from context or the head).
The fence PoS matches the slot (zal / dal / gal / bal / …).
Without the SHARED continuum, two number conjuncts are ordinary coordination. Bare z+3 z+5 zel is 3 ≻ 5 (preference / rank), not from 3 to 5.
| Join | Inclusive shape | Reading |
|---|---|---|
a | z+3 z+5 zal gumel | between 3 and 5 on time (unordered filled interval; both ends in) |
e | z+3 z+5 zel gumel | from 3 to 5 on time (directed; first → second) |
ue | z+5 z+3 zuel gumel | directed reverse path on time (spoken order = path; here from 5 to 3) |
ua | z+3 z+5 zual gumel | outside 3–5 on time (complement on the line) |
Menu joins o / ao stay discrete (3 or 5 / 3 and/or 5). Equative ae with numbers is equal / approximately equal (z+5 z+5 zael / z+3 z+5 zaem); it is not a range. Exclusive ranked oe stays superlative / empty-superlative with a scale.
Three or more number conjuncts under a stay an ordinary list (zal z+1 z+3 z+7 = 1, 3, and 7), even with SHARED. Single-item zal z+3 stays just 3, not a ray. Single-item ranked with a number is a threshold.
Comparatives vs ranges: zazawan zululon zel gomonam = Azawan is more challenging than Ululon (SHARED scale, people as conjuncts). z+3 z+5 zel gumel = from 3 to 5 on time (SHARED continuum, number endpoints). Bare z+3 z+5 zel = prefer 3 over 5.
Thresholds (single-item ranked)
When the only member of a rank join fence (e / ue, and their open / named twins) is a compatible number word, that number is an extremum on the line: a bound, not “only this value matters,” and not a two-endpoint range. SHARED continuum is optional on thresholds: absent = implicit / contextual numeric line; present = that named line (z+5 zel gumel = time < 5). Special values such as +∞ use digitless exponents inside the number word (g+e).
| Form | Reading | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
z+5 zel | less than 5 (< 5) | 5 is the greatest (ceiling); the ray is everything it outranks |
zem z+5 | soft / approximate less than ~5 | open twin |
z+5 zuel | greater than 5 (> 5) | 5 is the least (floor); reverse-ranked extremum |
zuem z+5 | soft / approximate greater than ~5 | open reverse twin |
zen z+5 | named/conventional unspecified extremum label (under-fives-style) | phrase -n on e |
zaen z+5 | named/conventional equal-to-5 band / tie label | phrase -n on ae |
zuen z+5 | named/conventional floor band | phrase -n reverse |
Same under /d/ /b/ /ɡ/ (gel g+5 = modifier <5; duel d+10 = object >10). ae / oe single-item with a number stay ordinary ranked single-item / triage. Boolean single-item (zal / zol / …) is ordinary just this value. Single-item zel z+ (zero-group) is ordinary single-item on plural/unspecified amount; +∞ is z+e / g+e.
Inclusive bounds: default is strict (< / >). For ≤ 5 / ≥ 5, use a two-endpoint range with the bound included. Exclusive-high ul stays a two-side range tool (z+3 ul z+5 zal gurulel).
Unspecified in a threshold: standalone e + -r = unspecified member of the < X ray (zer z+5 → some/whatever value < 5; under question → which value < 5?). ue takes no -r (stacked forms never do: coordination). For an unspecified value > 5, use other wording.
z+3 z+5 zel gumel = from 3 to 5 on time (range); z+3 z+5 zel = 3 ≻ 5 (preference); z+5 zel = < 5 (single-item threshold). zazawan zel (a person, not a number) stays ordinary only Azawan matters / superlative-with-scale. A single-item number conjunct triggers the threshold reading when the number is a bound (typically digitful).
Half-open (exclude the high end only)
Revisers inside the range mark an exclusive upper bound. Replace the second (high) conjunct with prefix-less ul + that number. SHARED continuum stays required:
| Shape | Reading |
|---|---|
z+3 z+5 zal gurulel | [3, 5]: inclusive both ends |
z+3 ul z+5 zal gurulel | [3, 5): 3 up to but not including 5 |
z+3 ul z+5 zel gurulel | from 3 up to but not including 5 |
The low endpoint stays inclusive. The exclusive high is only this in-range ul shape. Open um on the high end = soft / non-exhaustive exclusion of that bound (rare). Other revision vowels (al / el / ol) are not range-bound markers.
Fence -l / -m / -n keep ordinary closed / open / named senses on the range (exactly this band / around this band / the teens-style label). Endpoint number endings still apply (-m ≈ fuzzy that bound).
Unspecified value in the range (-r)
Fence -r on a number-range shape (still with SHARED continuum) = an unspecified member of the range (not content-word resume -r, and not a discrete something among two listed values):
| Form | Reading |
|---|---|
z+3 z+5 zar gurulel | some value in [3, 5] |
zar gurulel z+3 ul z+5 | some value in [3, 5) |
zor gurulel z+3 z+5 | any value in [3, 5] (free-choice) |
zer gurulel z+3 z+5 | whatever-by-rank in [3, 5] |
zur gurulel z+3 z+5 | some value other than (in) [3, 5] (other-than the range) |
Under question force, these are fill-asks (which value in 3–5?). Same under /d/ /b/ / /ɡ/ as the slot needs (g+3 g+5 gal gumel = modifier times 3–5; d+10 ul d+20 dar gurulel = object some value in [10, 20)).
Clock / date ranges: prefer SHARED continuum gumel (or a host relation + /b/) with digit-string endpoints (bal gumel b_15,00 b_16,00). Circumstance hal is a restrictor, not a clock/date range fence.
Examples: z+3 z+5 zal gumel → between times 3 and 5; zuguhul g+3 g+5 gal gumel → children times 3–5; z+3 ul z+5 zal gurulel → [3, 5); z+10 z+20 zel gumel → from time 10 to 20; z+3 z+5 zel → 3 ≻ 5 (preference); z+5 zel → < 5; z+5 zuel → > 5; z+5 z+5 zael → equally 5; z+3 z+5 zaem → 3 and 5 approximately equal; z+3 z+5 zar gurulel → some value in 3–5; z+3 z+5 zol → 3 or 5 (discrete).
Percent and percentage points
Talk about a portion of a whole (25%) or a point-scale move (+2 percentage points) by closing a count number (ra / ru) with jo / ju, parallel to fraction closer je.
| Closer | Sense | Digits you write | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
jo | Percent (portion of a whole) | Everyday percent figure (25 in 25%) | those digits ÷ 100 |
ju | Percentage points (point-scale amount or delta) | Point figure (2 in +2%*) | those digits ÷ 100 |
Digits follow the normal digit rules (including optional je inside the percent/point reading). Say the digits you mean (100% → wo zo zo jo).
Form
digits ( je fraction-digits )? jo|ju- Order: integer digits, optional
je+ fractional digits, thenjoorju. - Counts only:
jo/jusit onra/ru. - One closer: at most one
joorjugroup in the number word. Leaveba/buoff that word; for rates outside everyday percent talk, use a plain scalar (je/e-N).
Endings still apply (-l exact, -m about, -n conventional label, -r resume).
In preferred writing: % → speech jo; %* → speech ju (sign still on ra / ru, written + / -).
What each closer is for
| English habit | Agalan |
|---|---|
25% of X (portion) | whole NP + /ɡ/ …jo (denominator) |
+2 percentage points / from 10% to 12% point delta | ju (often as /v/ ra / ru: increase/decrease by that point amount) |
+50% relative to baseline (factor change) | a multiplicative /h/ factor (h+1.5, etc.) or ordinary relative-to wording |
25% (…jo) and 0.25 (plain scalar) name the same magnitude; jo chooses the percent-scale reading. ju likewise names a ÷100 magnitude, framed as points.
Denominator (portion “of what”)
The whole / reference class is the noun the percent grades. The percent is an ordinary /ɡ/ scalar on that noun, same slot as a count (zagadalsh g+3 = three cats):
| Shape | Gloss |
|---|---|
zagadalsh g+25% | 25% of the cats |
dezubelsh g+95% | 95% of the tests (object) |
beberelsh g+5% under a host relation | 5% of the people as /b/ |
The noun names the reference class; jo grades how much of that class. Same endings on the percent word (-m ≈ about 25% of …).
When the whole is not the modified head, use a complex /ɡ/ or /h/ of / out of (lexicon relation) + /b/ whole, with the percent elsewhere in the clause as needed. Numbers take no /w/ and no open arguments.
…ju point amounts, from A% to B% ranges, factor change (/h/ h+…), top / bottom N% rank bands, and N% done all take their “whole” from context or a separately named class: they do not need a portion-whole packed into the number word.
A bare /z/ (or other freestanding) …jo percent with no named whole is grammatical; prefer an explicit whole (percent of what). Bare …ju point amounts are fine when the percent-scale quantity being moved is already clear.
See also
- Number-word anatomy (markers, endings, exponents): numbers.md
- Phrase fences behind ranges: coordination.md
- Measured differentials on comparative scales: comparatives.md