Onkaye Yoruba

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Onkaye Yoruba

Modúpé Odùyoyè (1969) Yoruba Numeration System Ibadan: Daystar Press Ojú-ìwé =24.

Oro nipa onkaye Yoruba ni o je iwe yii logun. Ede Geesi ni won fi ko o. E gbo nnkan ti onkowe naa so nipa ohun ti o se akojopo re sinu iwe naa.

In counting on the fingers and toes, the first point of rest is at the 5, the number of fingers on one hand. Èwá “10” is another point of rest. But the Yoruba system is not decimal: the Yorùbás do not emphasize 10 as much as they emphasize 20. Ogún “20” is complete in the system of counting on fingers and toes: the count ends at twenty and has to be repeated. Hence the ogóji, ogóta, ogórin of the Yoruba counting system.

After 20, the next important number is not 100 but 200. All the higher numbers (except 300 and 400 are derived from 200 - through addition, subtraction and multiplication. It is these arithmetical processes that are used to teach Yoruba numberation in this book.

So basic is igba “200” in Yoruba counting that it may be taken a sa unit in itself rather than as a multiple of 20. This view was expressed by Mr. J.S. Ògúnlèsì who kindly discussed the proofs of the book with me.