Numbers, Time, and Measurements
SUL counts with the ten digits 0-9. Each digit's word is short and sounds nothing like the others.
| Number | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ugof | ugofuuggooff | |
| 1 | isek | isekiisseekk | |
| 2 | otug | otugoottuugg | |
| 3 | egog | egogeeggoogg | |
| 4 | okeg | okegookkeegg | |
| 5 | igog | igogiiggoogg | |
| 6 | ugeg | ugeguuggeegg | |
| 7 | egut | eguteegguutt | |
| 8 | akof | akofaakkooff | |
| 9 | agof | agofaaggooff |
Bigger numbers are read out digit by digit: 42 = okeg otug (4-2). No "forty", no "eleven", no special number words. Long numbers get a small breath every three digits, counted from the right: 1 234 567. In a chain, a run of digits always acts as ONE number - nothing can reach in between the digits.
Each digit has its own written square - the familiar shapes, drawn in SUL strokes, so numbers stay readable to everyone at a glance:
0123456789
A digit square is read aloud as its digit word and glues into chains like any other piece. They are the only squares that stand for a whole word - everything else in SUL is written sound by sound.
Everything else a number needs is ordinary words - no special symbols. The decimal mark is the word point, a negative number is the antonym chain, and "none" is just the digit 0 in the counting spot. Percentages have no word at all: say the decimal (0.07, not "7 percent"). Half has its own word - other fractions are said as decimals.
| English | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.14 (the word point is the decimal mark) | egog3ugufpointisek1okeg4 | egogeeggooggugufuugguuffisekiisseekkokegookkeegg | |
| minus 5 (the opposite of 5) | igog5nukantonym | igognukiiggooggnnuukk | |
| no dog came (zero in the counting spot) | egefdognugof0akigcomenaspast | egefnugofeeggeeffnnuuggooffakignasaakkiiggnnaass |
No separate words for first/second/third. Glue the number onto the thing with -, then the ordinal word onto the number with + - it changes the number, not the thing:
| English | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| the 2nd dog | egefdognotug2wekitordinal | egefnotugwekiteeggeeffnnoottuuggwweekkiitt | |
| the 3rd day | itogdaynegog3wekitordinal | itognegogwekitiittooggnneeggooggwweekkiitt | |
| the 12th dog (the digits act as one number) | egefdognisek1notug2wekitordinal | egefniseknotugwekiteeggeeffnniisseekknnoottuuggwweekkiitt |
dog-3 = "3 dogs" - dog-3+ordinal = "the 3rd dog" (the w glue: word chaining lesson).
SUL always uses the 24-hour clock (14:30, never 2:30 PM), so there is no AM/PM mix-up. A time is the unit word with the number glued on:
| English | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:30 (hour-14 minute-30) | isathournisek1nokeg4ukafminutenegog3nugof0 | isatniseknokegiissaattnniisseekknnookkeeggukafnegognugofuukkaaffnneeggooggnnuuggooff |
Dates always go biggest to smallest - year, then month, then day - each unit its own word, no leading zeros:
| English | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-15 (year-2024 month-1 day-15) | okutyearnotug2nugof0notug2nokeg4oketmonthnisek1itogdaynisek1nigog5 | okutnotugnugofnotugnokegookkuuttnnoottuuggnnuuggooffnnoottuuggnnookkeeggoketnisekookkeettnniisseekkitogniseknigogiittooggnniisseekknniiggoogg |
SUL measures everything in metric - meters, grams, liters - never feet, pounds, or gallons.
| Measurement | Unit | SUL | Written | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | meter | otet | otetootteett | |
| Mass | gram | igit | igitiiggiitt | |
| Volume | liter | agat | agataaggaatt | |
| Time | second | afit | afitaaffiitt | |
| Temperature | degree (Celsius) | okag | okagookkaagg |
Bigger units build on these: a minute (ukaf) is sixty seconds, an hour (isat) is sixty minutes. Temperature is measured in Celsius degrees: water freezes at 0 and boils at 100.