E. Numerals

§40. The Chichewa numerals constitute a quinary-decimal system. The words k'ú·mi 'ten' (plural makú·mi) and dza·na ‘one hundred’ (plural maza·na) are nouns of Class 3, and the word tci·kwi ‘one thousand’ (plural vi·kwi) is a noun of Class 6. These forms are related to the objects which they enumerate by word order only; i. e., they follow the names of such objects, and when multiplied in compound numerals they govern the concordances affixed to the multiplying numerals, if such numerals require concordances for completion. All other numeral stems require concordances for completion and take, with one exception, the system of concordances employed as subjects with the verb. The one exception is in Class 1, singular, where m- occurs instead of a -. 1 In abstract counting, i. e., when no particular objects are enumerated, the concordances of Class 5 are employed as expletive elements. These are given in the list of numerals.