Ghóm, the ten, and how 20, 30, 40… are built.
Ghóm is ten. Every multiple of ten is built on it: put the digit in front, and ghóm becomes ŋgóm.
| Number | Bamum | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | ghóm | — |
| 20 | pɛ'ŋgóm | 2 × 10 |
| 30 | tɛtŋgóm | tɛt (3) × 10 |
| 40 | kpà ŋgóm | kpá (4) × 10 |
| 50 | tɛŋgóm | tɛn (5) × 10 |
| 60 | ntúŋgóm | ntú (6) × 10 |
| 70 | sàŋgóm | sàmbà (7) × 10 |
| 80 | fàm ŋgóm | fâmə (8) × 10 |
| 90 | vü'ŋgóm | vü' (9) × 10 |
🔟 The system is decimal and perfectly regular — far simpler than French and its "quatre-vingt-dix".
info_outline Source : Omniglot