Javanese numerals

Javanese numerals (Javanese: ꦮꦶꦭꦁꦔꦤ꧀ꦗꦮ, romanized: Wilangan Jawa; Old Javanese: 𑼮𑼶𑼭𑼁, romanized: wilaṁ) are a set of numerals traditionally used in the Javanese language, although Arabic numerals are also used. Javanese numerals follow the Hindu–Arabic numeral system commonly used in the rest of the world.

Javanese is rich in numerical expressions. What is written here is the form in standard written Javanese. Spoken Javanese or dialects can take different forms.

The numerals 0–9 have independent and modifier forms. The modifiers are used to form powers of 10 or modify the sum of objects. In some cases, there is more than one word for a numeral reflecting the Javanese register system of ngoko (low-register) and krama (high-register), as well as words from a literary form of Javanese called kawi and derived from Old Javanese.

Like English, Javanese has compound forms for the teens; however, it also has a series of compound 'tweens', 21–29. The teens are based on a root wĕlas and the tweens on likur.

Especially for numerals between 30 and 40, there are two formats: proper form and shortened form (wancahan).

When basic numbers are combined with powers of 10, the modifier is applied. The table below uses the modifier of one (sa-) as an example.

There are 3 words that mean "minus half of" some number. Tĕngah means minus half of 1, sasur means minus half of 10, and bĕlah means minus half of 100.

The format is ka- + basic numeral + minus half numeral. The basic numeral’s place value is decided by the minus half numeral, so the lima ("five") in kalima tĕngah (

For place values over 100, compounds containing bĕlah are used. Minus half of 1000 is bĕlah iwu. Minus half of 10,000 is bĕlah lĕksa.

Sasur is only used for thirty and above.

Fractions are made up of numerator (modifier form) + pra- + denominator. Below is the example:

There are several forms of numbering that do not follow the pattern above. These special numerals can be combined with the powers of 10.

Old Javanese numerals have two sets of names: native names (from Austronesian) and loan names (from Sanskrit).

The word śūnya for zero was calqued into Arabic as صفر sifr, meaning 'nothing', which became the term "zero" in many European languages via Medieval Latin zephirum.

• Balinese numerals, a related but yet more complex numeral system.

• Poerwadarminta, W.J.S. (1939). Baoesastra Djawa (in Javanese). Groningen, Batavia: J.B. Wolters' Uitgeversmaatschappij N.V.
• Uhlenbeck, E.M. (1978). Studies In Javanese Morphology. Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. pp. 195–228.
• Zoetmulder, P.J. (1982). Old Javanese-English Dictionary. Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoff.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)