37.3. Lexical suffixes with numbers
Models
| 1) | ṈESÁLE | ‘four people’ |
| 2) | ṈESÁLETW̱ | ‘four dollars’ |
| 3) | ṈESIȽĆ | ‘four plants’ |
| 4) | ṈESOU¸EḰ | ‘four bundles’ |
| 5) | ṈESIȻES | ‘four birds’ |
| 6) | ṈESOMET | ‘four blankets’ |
| 7) | ṈESÁU¸TW̱ | ‘four houses’ |
‣ 1 When talking about numbers of people, dollars, plants, bundles, birds, blankets, houses, and times, the number words take lexical suffixes. The first seven of these are illustrated in these models. The ‘times’ lexical suffix is covered in the section on numbers, §22.
‣ 2 These lexical suffixes used for counting usually go only on the roots of numbers one through twenty. When numbers greater than ten take the counting suffix, it can go on the first or on the last word of the number. For example, ‘fourteen people’ is OPEN I¸ ȻS ṈESÁLE or OPENÁLE I¸ ȻS ṈOS. The dollar suffix seems to be an exception. The dollar suffix, ‑ÁLETW̱ can occur on the numbers that are multiple of ten. The dollar suffix follows the tens suffix. For example, ‘thirty dollars’ is ȽEW̱ȽŚÁLETW̱.
‣ 3 The ‘bundle’ has an alternate suffix, that some elders used: ‑ELIĆ as in ȽW̱ELIĆ ‘three bundles.’
‣ 4 The ‘bird’ suffix ‑IȻES is used for counting birds, ducks, or any flying thing, even planes. It is also used for counting newdancers.
‣ 5 The ‘blanket’ suffix ‑OMET is used for counting anything that is flat like a blanket. An alternative suffix that is sometimes used is -OLȻET. This suffix usually refers to clothing, but it can also be used for counting blankets.
‣ 6 The ‘house’ suffix ‑ÁU¸TW̱ is used for counting any kind of building or rooms in a building.
‣ 7 The table below summarizes these numbers. Any lexical suffix can attach to a number, but these seven are the ones that most commonly are used in counting.
Lexical suffixes used with numbers
| houses | NEȾÁU¸TW̱ | CESÁU¸TW̱ | ȽW̱ÁU¸TW̱ | ṈESÁU¸TW̱ | ȽKEĆSÁU¸TW̱ | DXEṈÁU¸TW̱ | ȾEȻSÁU¸TW̱ | TEŦSÁU¸TW̱ | TEȻW̱ÁU¸TW̱ | EPENÁU¸TW̱ |
| blankets | NEȾOM¸ET | ĆS¸OM¸ET | ȽW̱OMET | ṈESOMET | ȽKEĆSOMET | DXEṈOMET | ȾEȻSOMET | TEŦSOM¸ET | TEȻW̱OMET | EPENOMET |
| birds | NEȾI¸ȻES | ĆSI¸ȻES | ȽW̱IȻES | ṈESIȻES | ȽKEĆSIȻES | DXEṈIȻES | ȾEȻSIȻES | TEŦSIȻES | TEȻW̱IȻES | EPENIȻES |
| bundles | NEȾOU¸EḰ | ĆSOU¸EḰ | ȽW̱OU¸EḰ | ṈESOU¸EḰ | ȽKEĆSOU¸EḰ | DXEṈOU¸EḰ | ȾE¸ȻSOU¸EḰ | TEŦSOU¸EḰ | TEȻW̱OU¸EḰ | EPENOU¸EḰ |
| plants | NEȾI¸EȽĆ | ĆSI¸ȽĆ | ȽW̱IȽĆ | ṈESIȽĆ | ȽKEĆSIȽĆ | DXEṈIȽĆ | ȾE¸ȻSIȽĆ | TEŦSIȽĆ | TEȻW̱IȽĆ | EPENIȽĆ |
| dollars | NEȾÁȻETW̱ | ĆSÁ¸LETW̱ | ȽW̱ÁLETW̱ | ṈESÁLETW̱ | ȽKEĆSÁLETW̱ | DXEṈÁLETW̱ | ȾE¸ȻSÁLETW̱ | TEŦSÁLETW̱ | TEȻW̱ÁLETW̱ | EPENÁLETW̱ |
| people | NO¸ȾE¸ | ĆÁ¸SE¸ | ȽW̱ÁLE | ṈESÁLE | ȽKEĆSÁLE | DXEṈÁLE | ȾE¸ȻSÁLE | TEŦSÁLE | TEȻW̱ÁLE | OPENÁLE |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
 | ĆTÁLE E SW̱? | ‘Do you have money?’ |
 | U¸ HÍ U¸ ĆSÁ¸LETW̱. | ‘I have only two dollars.’ |
| OṈETEṈ SEN ¸E TŦE EPENÁLETW̱. | ‘They gave me ten dollars.’ |
| ÁN¸ U¸ÍY¸! ISTÁ ŦE TAWEN. | ‘Great! Let’s go to town.’ |
37.3A. Translate each into SENĆOŦEN using the counting lexical suffixes. Use the dictionary to look up any words you don’t know. 1. I saw two people. 2. Three trees are in the water. 3. They gave me four blankets. 4. There were ten houses on the beach. 5. We got ten ducks yesterday. |
37.3B. Make four more SENĆOŦEN sentences using lexical suffixes on numbers. |