Multiplier Morpheme

The morpheme m acts a multiplier between a noun phrase or a grouping number and a digit between two and nineteen. A syntactic structure that includes m in a functional projection, mP, with NPs on either side as its complements.

àm(a)	ōlí	m	ɛ́tà
PL	tree	MULT	three
'three trees'.

Igala is a largely head-initial language. The basic word order of Igala is SVO (subject verb object).

Numerical System

The Igala language utilizes a base-20 multiplicative system that also includes functions of subtraction and addition. The system has separate morphemes for numerals one to nine, as well as for ten ɛ̀gʷá, twenty ógʷú, fifty ódʒe, and two hundred ɔgwɔkɔ (Ejeba, 2016, p. 105; Otu, personal communication, 2021). For numerals eleven to nineteen, the form is ‘ten’ followed by a number from one through nine (Savkovic 2021).

(1)

ɛ̀gʷá	ɛ̀lá
ten	nine
'nineteen' (from Ejeba, 2016, p. 103).

The rest of the numbers are created using multiplication, addition, and/or subtraction. Igala employs “grouping” numbers for 20 ɔ̀gbɔ̀ and 50 ólí, that are separate from the words listed above, to make larger numbers through multiplication (Savkovic 2021).

(2)

ɔ̀gbɔ̀	m	ɛ́gʷá	ɛ̀là
twenty	MULT	ten	nine
'380' (from Ejeba, 2016, p. 105).