Compiled by Ron Meshanko

Huli is a Engan language spoken in around Tari in Hela Province, and in the south of Enga Province in Papua New Guinea. In 2011 there were about 150,000 speakers of Huli, which is also known as Huli-Hulidana or Huri. 1

The Engan languages are spoken in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Huli is part of the South Engan branch of the family, along with Angal, Kewa and Samberigi. These languages are possibly part of the Trans-New Guinea language family.

One interesting aspect of Huli is that numbers are pentadecimal (base-15). This means that 16 is 15 + 1 (nguira-ni mbira), 17 is 15 + 2 (nguira-ni kira), 30 is 15 x 2 (ngui ki), and so on.  2

Huli has a pandanus language  called tayenda tu ha illili (bush divide taboo) used for collecting karuka nuts as well as hunting or traveling. 3 Tayenda is used to evade malevolent bush spirits. The grammar for Tayenda is nearly identical to normal Huli, but the vocabulary is changed, often borrowing words from Duna but with changed meanings. 4

Huli alphabet and pronunciation

Huli alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

  • At the beginning of words d is pronounced [d̥], and is pronounced [dʲ] between i and a at the ends of words
  • r only appears in the middle of words
  • Between vowels b = [β] and g = [ɣ]
  • Many Huli speakers pronounced t as [s] before i

The Huli Pentadecimal Numbering System: 2

NumberReadingMeaning
0?
1mbira1 obj.
2kira2 obj.
3tebira3* obj.
4maria4 obj.
5duria5* obj.
6waragaria6 obj.
7karia7 obj.
8halira8 obj.
9dira9 obj.
10pira10 obj.
11bearia11 obj.
12hombearia12 obj.
13haleria13 obj.
14deria14 obj.
15nguira15 obj.
16nguira-ni mbira15 obj. and 1 obj.
17nguira-ni kira15 obj. and 2 obj.
18nguira-ni tebira15 obj. and 3* obj.
19nguira-ni maria15 obj. and 4 obj.
20nguira-ni duria15 obj. and 5* obj.
21nguira-ni waragaria15 obj. and 6 obj.
22nguira-ni karia15 obj. and 7 obj.
23nguira-ni halira15 obj. and 8 obj.
24nguira-ni dira15 obj. and 9 obj.
25nguira-ni pira15 obj. and 10 obj.
26nguira-ni bearia15 obj. and 11 obj.
27nguira-ni hombearia15 obj. and 12 obj.
28nguira-ni haleria15 obj. and 13 obj.
29nguira-ni deria15 obj. and 14 obj.
30ngui ki15 × 2
31ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga mbira(15 × 2) + (1 obj. of the 3rd 15)
32ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga kira(15 × 2) + (2 obj. of the 3rd 15)
33ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga tebira(15 × 2) + (3* obj. of the 3rd 15)
34ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga maria(15 × 2) + (4 obj. of the 3rd 15)
35ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga duria(15 × 2) + (5* obj. of the 3rd 15)
36ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga waragaria(15 × 2) + (6 obj. of the 3rd 15)
37ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga karia(15 × 2) + (7 obj. of the 3rd 15)
38ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga halira(15 × 2) + (8 obj. of the 3rd 15)
39ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga dira(15 × 2) + (9 obj. of the 3rd 15)
40ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga pira(15 × 2) + (10 obj. of the 3rd 15)
41ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga bearia(15 × 2) + (11 obj. of the 3rd 15)
42ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga hombearia(15 × 2) + (12 obj. of the 3rd 15)
43ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga haleria(15 × 2) + (13 obj. of the 3rd 15)
44ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga deria(15 × 2) + (14 obj. of the 3rd 15)
45ngui tebo15 × 3
46ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga mbira(15 × 3) + (1 obj. of the 4th 15)
47ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga kira(15 × 3) + (2 obj. of the 4th 15)
48ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga tebira(15 × 3) + (3* obj. of the 4th 15)
49ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga maria(15 × 3) + (4 obj. of the 4th 15)
50ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga duria(15 × 3) + (5* obj. of the 4th 15)
51ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga waragaria(15 × 3) + (6 obj. of the 4th 15)
52ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga karia(15 × 3) + (7 obj. of the 4th 15)
53ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga halira(15 × 3) + (8 obj. of the 4th 15)
54ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga dira(15 × 3) + (9 obj. of the 4th 15)
55ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga pira(15 × 3) + (10 obj. of the 4th 15)
56ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga bearia(15 × 3) + (11 obj. of the 4th 15)
57ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga hombearia(15 × 3) + (12 obj. of the 4th 15)
58ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga haleria(15 × 3) + (13 obj. of the 4th 15)
59ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga deria(15 × 3) + (14 obj. of the 4th 15)
60ngui ma15 × 4
61ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga mbira(15 × 4) + (1 obj. of the 5th 15)
62ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga kira(15 × 4) + (2 obj. of the 5th 15)
63ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga tebira(15 × 4) + (3* obj. of the 5th 15)
64ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga maria(15 × 4) + (4 obj. of the 5th 15)
65ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga duria(15 × 4) + (5* obj. of the 5th 15)
66ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga waragaria(15 × 4) + (6 obj. of the 5th 15)
67ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga karia(15 × 4) + (7 obj. of the 5th 15)
68ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga halira(15 × 4) + (8 obj. of the 5th 15)
69ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga dira(15 × 4) + (9 obj. of the 5th 15)
70ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga pira(15 × 4) + (10 obj. of the 5th 15)
71ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga bearia(15 × 4) + (11 obj. of the 5th 15)
72ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga hombearia(15 × 4) + (12 obj. of the 5th 15)
73ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga haleria(15 × 4) + (13 obj. of the 5th 15)
74ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga deria(15 × 4) + (14 obj. of the 5th 15)
75ngui dau15 × 5
76ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga mbira(15 × 5) + (1 obj. of the 6th 15)
77ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga kira(15 × 5) + (2 obj. of the 6th 15)
78ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga tebira(15 × 5) + (3* obj. of the 6th 15)
79ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga maria(15 × 5) + (4 obj. of the 6th 15)
80ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga duria(15 × 5) + (5* obj. of the 6th 15)
81ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga waragaria(15 × 5) + (6 obj. of the 6th 15)
82ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga karia(15 × 5) + (7 obj. of the 6th 15)
83ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga halira(15 × 5) + (8 obj. of the 6th 15)
84ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga dira(15 × 5) + (9 obj. of the 6th 15)
85ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga pira(15 × 5) + (10 obj. of the 6th 15)
86ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga bearia(15 × 5) + (11 obj. of the 6th 15)
87ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga hombearia(15 × 5) + (12 obj. of the 6th 15)
88ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga haleria(15 × 5) + (13 obj. of the 6th 15)
89ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga deria(15 × 5) + (14 obj. of the 6th 15)
90ngui waraga15 × 6
91ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga mbira(15 × 6) + (1 obj. of the 7th 15)
92ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga kira(15 × 6) + (2 obj. of the 7th 15)
93ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga tebira(15 × 6) + (3* obj. of the 7th 15)
94ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga maria(15 × 6) + (4 obj. of the 7th 15)
95ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga duria(15 × 6) + (5* obj. of the 7th 15)
96ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga waragaria(15 × 6) + (6 obj. of the 7th 15)
97ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga karia(15 × 6) + (7 obj. of the 7th 15)
98ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga halira(15 × 6) + (8 obj. of the 7th 15)
99ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga dira(15 × 6) + (9 obj. of the 7th 15)
100ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga pira(15 × 6) + (10 obj. of the 7th 15)

* Different form

Huli numbering rules 5

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

  • The Huli language has a pentadecimal numeral system, i.-e. of base fifteen. Thus, we can consider numbers from one to fourteen as digits, and fifteen itself as “ten”. Each number root is suffixed by either -ra or -ria, which denotes an object is counted.
  • Digits from one to fourteen are: mbira [1], kira [2], tebira [3], maria [4], duria [5], waragaria [6], karia [7], halira [8], dira [9], pira [10], bearia [11], hombearia [12], haleria [13], and deria [14].
  • Tens are formed by setting the word for fifteen (ngui), followed by the root of the multiplier digit separated with a space, except for fifteen itself: ngui [15] (1015), ngui ki [30] (15*2, or 2015), ngui tebo [45] (15*3, or 3015), ngui ma [60] (15*4, or 4015), ngui dau [75] (15*5, or 5015), and ngui waraga [90] (15*6, or 6015). We can suppose the system goes on, but we only know the Huli tens up to ninety (in base-10) at the moment.
  • From sixteen (1115) to twenty-nine (1E15), compound numbers are formed by adding the suffix -ni to the fifteen word, followed by the unit separated by a space: nguira-ni mbira [16] (15+1), nguira-ni kira [17] (15+2), nguira-ni tebira [18] (15+3), nguira-ni maria [19], nguira-ni duria [20], nguira-ni waragaria [21], nguira-ni karia [22], nguira-ni halira [23], nguira-ni dira [24], nguira-ni pira [25], nguira-ni bearia [26], nguira-ni hombearia [27], nguira-ni haleria [28], and nguira-ni deria [29] (15+14).
  • From thirty-one (2115) to forty-four (2E15), compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, which literally means “fifteen two”, followed by the expression ngui tebone-gonaga meaning “plus x of the third fifteen”, and the unit (e.g.: ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga maria [34] (15*2+4), ngui ki, ngui tebone-gonaga haleria [43]).
  • From forty-six (3115) to fifty-nine (3E15), compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, which literally means “fifteen three”, followed by the expression ngui mane-gonaga meaning “plus x of the fourth fifteen”, and the unit (e.g.: ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga tebira [48] (15*3+8), ngui tebo, ngui mane-gonaga hombearia [57]).
  • From sixty-one (4115) to seventy-four (4E15), compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, which literally means “fifteen four”, followed by the expression ngui dauni-gonaga meaning “plus x of the fifth fifteen”, and the unit (e.g.: ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga waragaria [66] (15*4+6), ngui ma, ngui dauni-gonaga deria [74]).
  • From seventy-six (5115) to eighty-nine (5E15), compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, which literally means “fifteen five”, followed by the expression ngui waragane-gonaga meaning “plus x of the sixth fifteen”, and the unit (e.g.: ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga maria [79] (15*5+4), ngui dau, ngui waragane-gonaga pira [85]).
  • From ninety-one (6115) to one hundred and four (6E15), compound numbers are formed starting with the ten, which literally means “fifteen six”, followed by the expression ngui kane-gonaga meaning “plus x of the seventh fifteen”, and the unit (e.g.: ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga karia [97] (15*6+7), ngui waraga, ngui kane-gonaga pira [100]).

  1. https://omniglot.com/writing/huli.htm []
  2. https://omniglot.com/writing/huli.htm [][]
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huli_language []
  4. Ibid. []
  5. https://www.languagesandnumbers.com/how-to-count-in-huli/en/hui/ []

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