Balinese numerals

The Balinese language has an elaborate decimal numeral system.

Basic numerals

The numerals 1–10 have basic, combining, and independent forms, many of which are formed through reduplication. The combining forms are used to form higher numbers. In some cases there is more than one word for a numeral, reflecting the Balinese register system; halus (high-register) forms are listed in italics.

Final orthographic -a is a schwa [ə].

NumeralBasicCombiningIndependent
1besika-, sa-*abesik, aukud
(a)siki
2duaduang-dadua
kalihkalih-kakalih
3telutelung-tetelu
tigatigang-tetiga
4(em)patpetang-pa(t)pat
5limalimang-lelima
6(e)nemnem-ne(m)nem
7pitupitung-pepitu
8(a)kutuskutus-, ulung-akutus
9(a)siasia-, sangang-Asia
10(a)dasadasa-adasa

* A less productive combining form of a- 1 is sa-, as can be seen in many of the numbers below. It, ulung-, and sangang- are from Javanese. Dasa 10 is from Sankrit désa.

Teens, tweens, and tens

Like English, Balinese has compound forms for the teens and tens; however, it also has a series of compound 'tweens', 21–29. The teens are based on a root *-welas, the tweens on -likur, and the tens are formed by the combining forms above. Hyphens are not used in the orthography, but have been added to the table below to clarify their derivation.

UnitTeensTweensTens
1solas 11se-likur 21 (a-dasa 10)
2rolas 12dua-likur 22 duang-dasa 20
kalih-likurkalih-dasa
3telu-las 13telu-likur 23telung-dasa 30
tigang-likurtigang-dasa
4pat-belas 14pat-likur 24petang-dasa 40
5lim-olas 15salaé 25seket 50
6nem-belas 16nem-likur 26nem-dasa 60
7pitu-las 17pitu-likur 27pitung-dasa 70
8pelekutus 18ulu-likur 28kutus-dasa, ulung-dasa 80
9siang-olas 19sanga-likur 29sia-dasa, sangang-dasa 90

The high-register combining forms kalih- 2 and tigang- 3 are used with -likur, -dasa, and higher numerals (below), but not for the teens.

The teens are from Javanese, where the -olas forms are regular, apart from pele-kutus 18, which is suppletive. Sa-laé 25 (one thread [of 25 Chinese coins]), and se-ket 50 (one tie [of two threads of coins]) are also suppletive, and cognate with Javanese səlawé 25 and səkət 50.

There are additional numerals pasasur ~ sasur 35 and se-timahan ~ se-timan 45 (one opium packet [costing 45 coins]), and a compound telung-benang (three threads [of coins]) for 75.

Higher numbers

The unit combining forms are combined with atus 100, atak 200, amas 400, tali 1000, laksa 10,000, keti 100,000, and yuta 1,000,000 as they do with dasa 10:

100s-atus
200s-atak
300telung-atus (tigang-atus)
400s-amas
500limang-atus
600telung-atak (tigang-atak)
700pitung-atus
800domas ( ← *dua-amas or *ro-amas)
900sanga
1000siu
1200(e)nem-bangsit
2000duang-tali (kalih-tali)
1,000,000a-yuta

Atak is a 'bundle' (of 200 coins) and amas is 'gold' (a gold coin being worth 400 copper coins). In addition, there is karobelah 150, lebak 175, and sepa (one pa?) for 1600. At least karobelah has a cognate in Javanese, ro-bəlah, where ro- is the short form for two (as in rolas 12).