Quenya Numbers

Numbers are used for anything of which there is more than one, like rings.

• Cardinal numbers (like one, two, three) are used for counting.
• Ordinal numbers (like first, second, third) name the place in a sequence.
• Fractions (like whole, half, one-third) describe a portion of a whole.
• Multiples (like once, twice, thrice) describe a repetition.

Quenya uses both decimal (base-10) and duodecimal (base-12) numbers. The details on duodecimal numbers in Quenya are a bit hazy. Quenya numbers are written using a positional number system, like our own (don’t tell the Romans), but with the digit order reversed: smallest units first. For the first 24 positive numbers, you can also use a tengwa with a dot or a bar on it (tinco=1, parma=2, etc.), for example when making (short) numbered lists, much like we sometimes use (a), (b), (c) or I, II, III.

You can experiment with Quenya numbers and digits on the abacus page.

Num	Dec	Duo	Cardinal	Ordinal	Fraction	Multiple
0:			munta 
1:			er  min 	minya 		ellumë 
2:			atta 	atteä 	peresta 	yullumë 
3:			neldë 	neldeä 	nelesta  nelsat 	nellumë 
4:			canta 	canteä 	canasta  cansat 	cantallumë 
5:			lempë 	lempeä 	lepesta  lepsat 	lemillumë 
6:			enquë 	enqueä 	enquesta 	enquellumë 
7:			otso 	otseä 	otosta  osta  otsat 	otsollumë 
8:			toldo 	toldeä 	tolosta  tosta  tolsat 
9:			nertë 	nerteä 	neresta  nesta  nersat 
10:			queän 	quaineä 	caista 
11:			minquë 	minqueä 	minquesta 
12:			yunquë 	yunqueä 	yunquesta 
13:			nelquë  yunquenta 	nelqueä 
14:			canquë 
15:			lepenquë 
16:			enenquë 
17:			otoquë 
18:			tolquë 
19:			neterquë 
20:			yuquain 
30:			nelquain 
40:			canquain 
50:			lepenquain 
60:			enquain 
70:			otoquain 
80:			tolquain 
90:			neterquain 