Numbering in Ibibio is also a very logical series to follow. I have split this numbers into series to aid you in understanding how exactly this numbering system is carried out. They are;
The Simple Numbers Series #1 – #9
1 kiet (“ked” in some dialects)
2 Iba (the “a” is a falling tone, different from “Iba” for “Pant underwear” with a rising “a” tone)
3 Ita (the “a” is a rising tone, different from “Ita” for “fist” with a falling “a” tone)
4 Inaang (the “aa” is a falling tone, different from “Inaang” for “wayward” with a rising “aa” tone)
5 Ition (falling “I-”
6 Itio-kiet
7 Itia-aba (/Aba/ falling “a” and falling “a”)
8 Itia-ita
9 Usok-kiet
The Duop (Ten) Series #10 – #14
This series like any subsequent series is done by adding the names of numbers from the simple number series to this series’ name. For example. 11 is an addition of 10 and 1, Duop is 10 and one is kiet, therefore 11 in Ibibio is Duop Mme kiet (and in Ibibio is “mme”.) Now also the changes in the beginning letters of the simple number series in other series.
10 Duop
11 Duop-o-kiet
12 Duop-eba (the “a” in the “-eba” is a falling tone while the “e” is a rising tone, this is different from the “a” and “e” in “-eba” for “breast” both with rising tones)
13 Duop-eta (/eta/ falling “e” and rising “a”)
14 Duop-enaang
The Efid (15) Series #15 – #19
15 Efìd
16 Efid-e-kiet
17 Efid-eba
18 Efid-eta
19 Efid-enaang
Edip – The Twenty Series #20 – #30:
20 Edìp
21 Edip-mme-kiet
22 Edip-mme-aba
23 Edip-mme-ata
24 Edip-mme-anaang
25 Edip-mme-ition
26 Edip-mme-itiokiet
27 Edip-mme-itiaba
28 Edip-mme-itiaita
29 Edip-mme-usokiet
30 Edip-mme-duop
31 Edip-mme-duop-o-kiet
32 Edip-mme-duop-eba
33 Edip-mme-duop-eta
34 Edip-mme-duop-enaang
35 Edip-mme-Efid
36 Edip-mme-Efid-e-kiet
37 Edip-mme-Efid-eba
38 Edip-mme-Efid-eta
39 Edip-mme-Efid-enaang
The Aba (40) Series #40 – 59
Numbered just like in the Edip Series. You can do this by replacing the ” Edip” with the “Aba”
40 Aba
41 Aba-Mme-Kiet
50 Aba-Mme-duop
51 Aba-Mme-duop-o-kiet
55 Aba-Mme-Efid
56 Aba-Mme-Efid-e-Kiet etc
The Ata (60) Series #60 – #79
Just as in Edip and Aba Series
60 Ata
61 Ata-Mme-Kiet
70 Ata-Mme-duop
71 Ata-Mme-duop-o-kiet
75 Ata-Mme-Efid
76 Ata-Mme-Efid-e-Kiet etc
The Annang (80) Series #80 – #99
80 Anaang
81 Anaang-Mme-Kiet
90 Anaang-Mme-duop
91 Anaang-Mme-duop-o-kiet
95 Anaang-Mme-Efid
96 Anaang-Mme-Efid-e-Kiet etc
The Ikie (Hundreds) Series #100 – #999
100 Ikie Kiet
101 Ata-Mme-Kiet
110 Ata-Mme-duop
120 Ikia-Mme-Edip etc
200 Ikie Iba
201 Ikie Iba Mme-Kiet
210 Ikie Iba Mme-Duop
220 Ikie Iba Mme-Edip etc
300 Ikie Ita
Tòsìn (Thousands) Series #1000 – #9999
1000 Tòsìn Kiet
Note: There is no letter “G” in Ibibio. The “g” in Anaang for example is only used in this piece to show how the words are pronounced. “-ng” sound in English is written as “ñ” in Ibibio.
I hope you have a good time learning how to write and call numbers in Ibibio.