Numerals
§61. CLASSIFICATION OF NUMERALS
Umbundu numerals divide into two classes:
ADJECTIVES (agree with the noun): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
SUBSTANTIVES (Class 3 nouns, followed by genitive): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10+
§62. NAMES OF NUMERALS
Cardinal units:
1 = -mosi 6 = e-pandu
2 = -vali 7 = e-panduvali
3 = -tatu 8 = e-chinana
4 = -kuana 9 = e-chia
5 = -tanu 10 = e-kui
Tens (Class 3 nouns, prefix e-/a-):
10 = e-kui 60 = a-kui 'e-pandu
20 = a-kui a-vali 70 = a-kui 'e-panduvali
30 = a-kui a-tatu 80 = a-kui 'e-chinana
40 = a-kui a-kuana 90 = a-kui 'e-chia
50 = a-kui a-tanu
Hundreds (Class 4, prefix ochi-/ovi-):
100 = ochi-ta 600 = ovi-ta 'e-pandu
200 = ovi-ta vi-vali 700 = ovi-ta 'e-panduvali
300 = ovi-ta vi-tatu 800 = ovi-ta 'e-chinana
400 = ovi-ta vi-kuana 900 = ovi-ta 'e-chia
500 = ovi-ta vi-tanu
Thousands (Class 5, prefix o-/olo-):
1,000 = o-hukae 6,000 = olo-hukae 'e-pandu
2,000 = olo-hukae vi-vali 7,000 = olo-hukae 'e-panduvali
3,000 = olo-hukae vi-tatu
Combinations use the copulative conjunction la (and):
11 = e-kui la mosi 15 = e-kui la tanu
25 = a-kui a-vali la tanu 102 = ochi-ta la vali
364 = ovi-ta vi-tatu 'a-kui a-tanu la kuana
§63. AGREEMENT OF UNITS (1–5) WITH NOUNS
Adjective numerals (1–5) take the pronominal prefix of the noun they modify
and follow it:
olo-ngombe vi-vali = two oxen
a-lume va-tatu = three men
ovi-ti vi-kuana = four trees
e-kapa li-tanu = five potatoes
o-sanji i-mosi = one fowl
Substantive numerals (6–9) as Class 3 nouns do not usually take the pronominal
prefix; the noun precedes:
olo-ngombe e-pandu = six oxen
a-lume e-chinana = eight men
Tens, hundreds, thousands precede the noun in genitive construction:
e-kui li'olo-ngombe = a ten of oxen = ten oxen
ochi-ta chi'a-lume = a hundred of men = one hundred men
When tens are combined with units, the noun is repeated with the conjunctive la:
e-kui li'olo-ngombe 'olo-ngombe vi-tanu = fifteen oxen (ten oxen and five oxen)
Sometimes the second noun is omitted:
e-kui li'a-saela la tanu = fifteen eggs (ten of eggs and five)