Asteran Numbers

Asteran uses a base-9 number system.

This means that the basic digits are:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

What decimal counting calls nine is not a digit in Asteran. It is the first completed set and is written as 10₉.

This fits the Choir of the Nine Chords: the ninth is not merely another number, but the completion of the cycle.

Digit Words

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Asteran	Meaning
0	0₉	ōm	zero, none
1	1₉	il	one
2	2₉	par	two
3	3₉	tem	three
4	4₉	cau	four
5	5₉	lir	five
6	6₉	mos	six
7	7₉	fal	seven
8	8₉	wac	eight

The Completed Nine

The word for one full set of nine is:

nōr
= nine / one completed set / 10₉

So:

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Asteran
9	10₉	nōr

The word nōr has strong ritual importance. It means not only “nine,” but also completion, fullness, and a closed cycle.

Counting Beyond Eight

Numbers above eight are formed by combining the number of completed nines with the remaining digit.

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Asteran	Literal Meaning
9	10₉	nōr	one nine
10	11₉	nōr il	nine and one
11	12₉	nōr par	nine and two
12	13₉	nōr tem	nine and three
13	14₉	nōr cau	nine and four
14	15₉	nōr lir	nine and five
15	16₉	nōr mos	nine and six
16	17₉	nōr fal	nine and seven
17	18₉	nōr wac	nine and eight
18	20₉	par-nōr	two nines
19	21₉	par-nōr il	two nines and one
20	22₉	par-nōr par	two nines and two

Compound numerals are written with a hyphen.

Higher Place Values

For larger numbers, Asteran uses place-value words.

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Asteran	Meaning
9	10₉	nōr	one nine
81	100₉	sāl	one nine-of-nines
729	1000₉	mūr	one high nine / nine-cube

Examples:

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Asteran	Literal Meaning
81	100₉	sāl	one nine-of-nines
82	101₉	sāl il	eighty-one and one
90	110₉	sāl nōr	eighty-one and nine
162	200₉	par-sāl	two nine-of-nines
197	238₉	par-sāl tem-nōr wac	two 81s, three 9s, and eight

Asteran numerals are ordered from largest place value to smallest.

Number Syntax

Cardinal numbers stand before the noun phrase.

Basic order:

Number + Degree Marker + Adjective + Noun + Genitive Possessor

Examples:

il astor
= one cantor

par astorī
= two cantors

tem sacrawī astorī
= three sacred cantors

nōr astorī
= nine cantors

Number and Noun Agreement

Cardinal numbers themselves do not decline.

The noun carries the case and number.

With one, the noun is singular.

With zero and numbers above one, the noun is plural.

Examples:

il astor
= one cantor

ōm astorī
= zero cantors / no cantors

par astorī
= two cantors

wac astorī
= eight cantors

nōr astorī
= nine cantors

With case:

par astorās cala
= I bind two cantors.

nōr cordās cala
= I bind nine chords.

Chord: cort / cord-

The Asteran word for chord is:

cort
= chord

Its inflected stem is:

cord-

Asteran has the following sound alternation:

t → d / r _ V

This means that final -rt becomes -rd- before a vowel-initial ending.

So:

cort
= chord, nominative singular

but:

cordam
= chord-ACC.SG

cordī
= chords-NOM.PL

cordās
= chords-ACC.PL

cordōn
= of the chords

This keeps the nominative form hard and final, while the inflected forms become smoother.

The Nine Chords

Because nōr means one completed set of nine:

nōr cordī
= nine chords / the Nine Chords

As an object:

nōr cordās
= nine chords as object

Genitive:

nōr cordōn
= of the Nine Chords

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinals are formed with the adjective ending:

-dau

Ordinals behave like adjectives. They stand before the noun and agree with it in case and number.

Cardinal	Ordinal	Meaning
il	ildau	first
par	pardau	second
tem	temdau	third
cau	caudau	fourth
lir	lirdau	fifth
mos	mosdau	sixth
fal	faldau	seventh
wac	wacdau	eighth
nōr	nōrdau	ninth / completing

Because -dau ends in -au, ordinals follow the normal adjective rule:

au → aw / _V

So:

nōrdau
= ninth / completing

but:

nōrdawam
= ninth-ACC.SG

nōrdawī
= ninth-NOM.PL

Ordinal Examples

ildau astor
= the first cantor

pardau astor
= the second cantor

nōrdau cort
= the Ninth Chord

nōrdawam cordam
= the Ninth Chord as object

nōrdawēn cordēn
= of the Ninth Chord

nōrdawī cordī
= the ninth chords

Compound Ordinals

For compound numbers, the ordinal marker normally attaches to the final element.

Examples:

Decimal Value	Base-9 Value	Cardinal	Ordinal
10	11₉	nōr il	nōr ildau
11	12₉	nōr par	nōr pardau
18	20₉	par-nōr	par-nōrdau
19	21₉	par-nōr il	par-nōr ildau

So:

nōr ildau astor
= the tenth cantor
Literally: the nine-and-first cantor

par-nōrdau astor
= the eighteenth cantor
Literally: the two-nine-th cantor