COUNTING FROM 1

1        ngei

2        maị

3        trẹị

4        ini

5        sọnọ

6        sonio

7        sọnọma

8        nine

9        eseni

10      oyi / atị

11      oyi gberiye

12      oyi maị

13      oyi trẹị

14      ngei fa jei ( ngiefaji)

15      jei

16      ini fa si

17      trẹị fa si

18      maị fa si

19      gberiye fa si

20      si

21      si gberiye

22      si maị

23      si trẹị

24      si ini

25      si sono

26      ini fa suei

27      trẹị fa suei

28      maị fa suei

29      gberiye fa suei

30      suei

31 … follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with suei coming first

40      mesi

41 … follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with mesi coming first

50      mesi oyi

51… follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with mesi oyi coming first

60      tesi

61… follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with tesi coming first

70      tesi oyi

71… follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with tesi oyi coming first

80      inia si

81… follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with inia si coming first

90      inia si oyi

91… follow the sequence as in 21 to 29 with inia si oyi coming first

100    sọnọa si     

NB: It is traditional to put the word finji behind 11 – 14, 21 – 25,

31 – 35, 41 – 45, etc    This word is omitted here to make counting children-friendly and to modernise the language

COUNTING FROM 100

In counting from 100, it will be necessary to create new set of words - what I call Kalabari Forms (KF). Also informal forms (IF) will be given to others. All this is done to make counting children-friendly and to modernise the language. Ileteracy is reducing rapidly. Only few Kalabari elders or children do not know what a thousand (1000) is, so a KF will be given to this figure and make it our own unit

100    sọnọa si

200    oyia si

300    jia si

400    ẹndẹ

500    ẹndẹ na sọnọa si  [IF: sọnọ sọnọa si]

600    ẹndẹ na oyia si  [IF: sonio sọnọa si]

700    ẹndẹ na jia si  [IF:  sọnọma sọnọa si]

800    ma ẹndẹ (m’ ẹndẹ) or poku

900    m’ẹndẹ na sọnọa si [IF: eseni sọnọa si]

1000       gbọrụ tawsani [KF]

2000       ma  tawsani

3000       tra tawsani

4000       inia tawsani

5000       sọnọa tawsani

6000       sonia tawsani

7000       sọnọma tawsani

8000       nina tawsani

9000       esenia tawsani

10000     oyia tawsani

11000     oyi gboru tawsani

12000     oyi ma tawsani

13000     oyi tra tawsani

14000     oyi inia tawsani

15000     oyi sọnọa tawsani

16000     oyi sonia tawsani

17000     oyi sọnọma tawsani

18000     oyi nina tawsani

19000     oyi esenia tawsani

20000     si tawsani 

30000     suei tawsani

40000     mesi tawsani

50000     mesi oyia tawsani

60000     tesi tawsani

70000     tesi oyia tawsani

80000     inia si tawsani or (tawsani inia si)

90000     inia si oyia tawsani

100000    tawsani sọnọa si