How to Count Things in Mingo

Counting in Mingo is rather complicated.

How to say: "1 car"

• Step 1: Take the Basic Form of the Noun you want to count.
  
  • ka'sehta' car
• Step 2: Take off the Noun Suffix from the Basic Form, leaving just the Pronominal prefix and the Noun Base.
  
  • ka'sehta' ---> ka'seht-
• Step 3: Incorporate the Noun Base into the Verb Base s...t- be one of something in the Stative.
  
  • ska'sehtát one car

How to say: "2 cars"

• Step 1: Take the Basic Form of the Noun you want to count.
  
  • ka'sehta' car
• Step 2: Take off the Noun Suffix from the Basic Form, leaving just the Pronominal prefix and the Noun Base.
  
  • ka'sehta' ---> ka'seht-
• Step 3: Incorporate the Noun Base into the Verb Base te...ake- be two of something in the Stative.
  
  • teka'sehtáké two cars

How to say: "3 cars"

• Step 1: Take the Basic Form of the Noun you want to count.
  
  • ka'sehta' car
• Step 2: Take off the Noun Suffix from the Basic Form, leaving just the Pronominal prefix and the Noun Base.
  
  • ka'sehta' ---> ka'seht-
• Step 3: Incorporate the Noun Base into the Verb Base ni...ake- be three (or more) of something in the Stative.
  
  • nika'sehtáké
• Step 4: Put së three in the front.
  
  • së nika'sehtáké three cars

• If the Basic Form of the Noun uses an Agent prefix, then the Counted Forms will also use an Agent prefix.
  
  wênishæ' day -- swênishât one day
  
  Likewise, if the Basic Form of the Noun usues a Patient prefix, then the Counted Forms will also use a Patient prefix.
  
  o'nya' finger -- tsyo'nyát one finger
  
  
• The vowel of the final syllable in the "1X" forms are always long.
  
  
• Forms meaning "2X" will end in either ...aké or ...áké, depending on the number of syllables in the word. Here's an easy way to remember which form to use:
  
  
  • If the Basic Form of the Noun has an odd number of syllables, then the "2X" Counted Form will end in ...áké, with a long /á/ in the next-to-last syllable.
    
    kakéta' dart -- tekaketáké two darts
    ohsohkwa' spout -- teyohsohkwáké two spouts
    
    
  • But, if the basic Form of the Noun has an even number of syllables, then the "2X" Counted Form will end in ...aké, with a short /a/ in the next-to-last syllable.
    
    kaëhtóya' blanket -- tekaëhtóyaké two blankets
    onöhkwë'ta' pine cone -- teyonöhkwë'také two pine cones
  
  
• You can always form the "3X" Counted Form from the "2X" Counted Form by changing the first syllable from te- to ni-. Everything else stays exactly the same.
  
  tekaketáké two darts -- së nikaketáké three darts
  teyohsohkwáké two spouts -- së niyohsohkwáké three spouts
  tekaëhtóyaké two blankets -- së nikaëhtóyaké three blankets
  teyonöhkwë'také two pine cones -- së niyonöhkwë'také three pine cones
  
  
• Here's a table which summarizes the changes in the prefixes for Counted Forms.
  
  

  Prefix	1X	2X	3X
  ka-	ska-	teka-	nika-
  w-	sw-	tew-	niw-
  o-	tsyo-	teyo-	niyo-