Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese LanguageCollado, Diego
History
Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese Language
Collado, Diego
Japanese language -- Grammar
The enumeration of the measurements of human height is achieved by placing
_fito_ [_firo_] after the _iomi_ numerals; e.g., _fito firo_ 'one _firo_,'
_futa firo_ 'two,' _jippiro_ 'ten.' The measurement of a span (_palmus_) is
made by adding _xacu_ to the _coie_ numerals; e.g., _ixxacu_ 'one span, or
three spans by the Spanish measuring system,'[197] _sanjaku_ 'three.'
_Goxacu_ is the same as _fito firo_ which is a measurement we have referred
to before. Six _xacu_ make up a measurement called _icqen_ 'one _qen_,'
_nicqen_ [_niqen_] 'two,' _jicqen_ 'ten,' and _sanguen_ 'three.' From sixty
of these measurements one makes a measurement called _icchó_, that is 'one
mountain path,' _nicchǒ_ [_nichǒ_] 'two,' _jichiǒ [jicchǒ]_ 'ten,' _sangiǒ_
'three.' From sixty-three [thirty-six] _chô_, as measured in the northern
part of Japan, one obtains _ichiri_ which is one league or one miliar. One
enumerates by adding _ri_ to the _coie_ numerals; e.g., _niri_ 'two,'
_sanri_ 'three,' _gori_ 'five,' _júri_ 'ten'; _iori_ is 'four,' because
_xiri_ means anus.[198] _Fan michi_ {179} means 'a half of a league.' They
say; _ioco fan miqi tate ichiri_ [... _michi_ ...] 'a half a _ri_ wide and
one _ri_ long,' _faba icqen_ 'the width is one _qen_,' _iofǒ futa firo_
'two _hiro_ on all sides.'
The cardinal numbers first, second, etc. are made by adding _ban_ to the
_coie_ numerals; e.g., _ichi ban_ 'first,' _ni ban_ 'second.' To these are
also added _me_, as said before; e.g., _xi ban me_ 'fourth.' One may also
make the cardinal numbers by placing _dai_ in front of the _coie_ (71
numerals; e.g., _daiichi_ 'first,' _daini_ 'second,' etc.
The enumeration of multiples is done by adding _bai_ to the numbers; e.g.,
_ichibai_ 'double,' _nibai_ 'triple,' _sanbai_ 'quadruple,'[199] _fiacu
zobai_ 'one hundred fold.'
The enumeration of the parts from the whole is done by placing _buichi_
after the numeral; e.g., _ni buichi_ 'one from two parts,' _san buichi_
'one from three parts.'
To indicate one tenth _vari_ is placed after the numeral; e.g., _ichi vari_
'one from ten parts,' _xi vari gobu_ 'four and one half from ten parts.'
_Jú buichi_ is the same as _ichi vari_.
The enumeration of oars, muskets, and long things made of wood is done by
placing _chó_ after the numerals; e.g., _icchó_ 'one oar,' _nichó_ 'two,'
_sangiǒ_ 'three,' _jichó_ [_jicchó_] 'ten.'
The enumeration of fish and fire wood is done by placing _con_ after the
numerals;[200] e.g., _iccon_, 'one fish,' _sangon_ 'three,' _jiccon_ 'ten,'
_fiaccon_ 'one hundred,' _fiacu gojǔ sangon_ 'one hundred and fifty-three.'
This is the amount Saint Peter caught, and even though he caught that
number the net did not tear.
The enumeration of leaves of paper and sheets of gold, etc. is done by
placing _mai_ after the numeral; e.g., _ichimai_ 'one leaf,' _cami gomai_
'five leaves of paper.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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