COUNTING IN CHOL:

The language Chol uses a vigesimal (base-20) counting system. Here are the numerals for 1–20:

Jun                 1                                 Junlujun       11

Cha’               2                                 Lajchän         12

Ux                   3                                 Uxlujun         13

Chän              4                                 Chänlujun    14

Jo’                   5                                 Jo’lujun         15

Wäk                6                                 Wäklujun      16

Wuk                7                                 Wuklujun      17

Waxäk           8                                 Waxäklujun  18

Bolon             9                                 Bolonlujum   19

Lujun             10                               Junk’al          20

In our language Chol, when we count things the form of the number must change depending on the form of the objects being counted, for example depending on whether they are round, long, standing; whether the thing being counted is an person or an animal, as in the following examples:

      a tree (standing) = juñtyejk tye’

         a woman (standing) = juñtyikil lakña’

         a dog (crouched) = juñkojty ts’i’

     a pineaplle (round) = juñpijty pajch’

    a tortilla = juñk’ej waj

     a plate (round) = juñwejch ch’ejew

  a bunch of bananas (hanging) = juñpajl ja’as