Lesson IX: Numbers grammar
Generally, numbers are treated like adjectives. They usually go after the word they modify. (Again, most orcs would probably ignore this rule.) You will also notice that the Ring Verse places them before the word they modify (ash nazg . . . ). This may have been done for poetic reasons.
Ash, one
Krul, two
Gakh, three
Zag, four
Kraak, five
Rut, six
Udu, seven
Ski, eight
Krith, nine
Gal, ten
Numbers
1 | Ash | 11 | Galash | 30 | Gakhgal |
2 | Krul | 12 | Galkrul | 40 | Zagal |
3 | Gakh | 13 | Galgakh | 50 | Kraakgal |
4 | Zag | 14 | Galzag | 60 | Rutgal |
5 | Kraak | 15 | Galkraak | 70 | Utgal |
6 | Rut | 16 | Galrut | 80 | Skragh |
7 | Udu | 17 | Galudu | 90 | Krithgal |
8 | Skri | 18 | Galskri | 100 | Bûr |
9 | Krith | 19 | Galkrith | 1000 | Tor |
10 | Gal | 20 | Krulgal | 0 | Nar |
*Note that 21 would be krulgalash, 24 = krulgalzag, and so on.
Exercise:
Translate the following numbers into Black Speech:
34 __________________________ 58 ____________________________
62 __________________________ 71 ____________________________
22 __________________________ 87 ____________________________
103 _________________________ 245 ____________________________
9068 ________________________ 4862 ____________________________