Modern Hindi Grammar - Indian Institute of Language Studies (IILS)

3. MORPHOLOGY

Note that saaZ,o sa:rhe denoting ‘half’ is attached to the numerals
beginning with three: saaZ,o caar sa:rhe ca:r ‘four and half,’ saaZ,o paMca
sa:rhe pã:c ‘five and half,’ etc. The system of denoting fractions is
also used to denote fractions of hundred, thousand, ten thousand, etc.

savaa saaO sava: sø 125
DoZ, saaO derh sø 150

sZ,a[- saaO dha:i: sø 250

D,oZ, hja,ar derh haza:r 1,500
savaa dao laaK sava: do la:kh 2,25,000

3.3.6.4. Multiplicatives

Multiplicatives are formed by attaching gaunaa guna:‘multiplied by’ to
the numerals. The numerals 2 to 8 are slightly modified.

duganaa dugna: or dUnaa du:na: ‘double,’ itgaunaa tiguna: ‘threefold,’ caaOganaa
cøguna: ‘fourfold,’ pMcaguanaa pancguna: ‘fivefold,’ Cgaunaa chaguna

‘sixfold,’ satgaunaa satguna: ‘sevenfold,’ Azgaunaa athguna: ‘eightfold.’
After this the forms are regular: navagaunaa navguna: ‘ninefold,’ dsagaunaa
dasguna: ‘tenfold,’ baIsagaunaa bi:sguna: ‘twentyfold,’ tIsagaunaa ti:sguna:
‘thirtyfold,’ saaOgaunaa søguna: ‘hundredfold,’ hja,argaunaa haza:rguna:

‘thousandfold. The gaunaa guna: can be attached to fractions too: savaa gaunaa
sava: guna: 1¼ times as much, D,oZ gaunaa derh guna: 1½ times as much,
Z,a[- gaunaa dha:i: guna: 2 ½ times as much.

3.3.6.5. Approximation

Approximation is expressed by placing kao[- koi:, lagaBaga lagbhag, or p`aya:
pra:ya: before the numeral.

kao[- baIsa AadmaI koi: bi:s a:dmi: about twenty persons
lagaBaga paÐca saaO laaoga lagbhag pã:c sø log about five hundred people

p`aya: dao saaO vaYa-
pihlao

pra:ya: do sø varš

pahle

about two hundred years

ago