D'ni numerals

D'ni numerals depict a base-25 system, with unique symbols for values between 0 and 24. In our own base-10 system, additional digits to the left of the decimal point indicate additional powers of 10. In base 25, additional digits represent additional powers of 25. Cyan's D'ni historian RAWA has provided an example of how this works:

9876 Base 10 = ((9 X 10^3) + (8 X 10^2) + (7 X 10^1) + (6 X 10^0))
= ((9 X 1000) + (8 X 100) + (7 X 10) + (6 X 1))
= (9000 + 800 + 70 + 6)
= 9876

9876 Base 25 = ((9 X 25^3) + (8 X 25^2) + (7 X 25^1) + (6 X 25^0))
= ((9 X 15625) + (8 X 625) + (7 X 25) + (6 X 1))
= (140625 + 5000 + 175 + 6 )
= 145806

Symbols and terminology

Numbers 0 - 25

Decimal number	D'ni symbol	D'ni word	Transliteration
0	<d'ni>0</d'ni>	<d'ni>rUn</d'ni>	roon
1	<d'ni>1</d'ni>	<d'ni>fa</d'ni>	fah
2	<d'ni>2</d'ni>	<d'ni>brE</d'ni>	bree
3	<d'ni>3</d'ni>	<d'ni>sen</d'ni>	sehn
4	<d'ni>4</d'ni>	<d'ni>tor</d'ni>	tor
5	<d'ni>5</d'ni>	<d'ni>vat</d'ni>	vaht
6	<d'ni>6</d'ni>	<d'ni>vagafa</d'ni>	vahgahfah (five-and-one)
7	<d'ni>7</d'ni>	<d'ni>vagabrE</d'ni>	vahgahbree
8	<d'ni>8</d'ni>	<d'ni>vagasen</d'ni>	vahgahsehn
9	<d'ni>9</d'ni>	<d'ni>vagator</d'ni>	vahgahtor
10	<d'ni>)</d'ni>	<d'ni>nAvU</d'ni>	nayvoo
11	<d'ni>!</d'ni>	<d'ni>nAgafa</d'ni>	naygahfah
12	<d'ni>@</d'ni>	<d'ni>nAgabrE</d'ni>	naygahbree
13	<d'ni>#</d'ni>	<d'ni>nAgasen</d'ni>	naygahsehn
14	<d'ni>$</d'ni>	<d'ni>nAgator</d'ni>	naygahtor
15	<d'ni>%</d'ni>	<d'ni>hEbor</d'ni>	heebor
16	<d'ni>^</d'ni>	<d'ni>hEgafa</d'ni>	'heegahfah
17	<d'ni>&</d'ni>	<d'ni>hEgabrE</d'ni>	heegahbree
18	<d'ni>*</d'ni>	<d'ni>hEgasen</d'ni>	heegahsehn
19	<d'ni>(</d'ni>	<d'ni>hEgator</d'ni>	heegahtor
20	<d'ni>[</d'ni>	<d'ni>riS</d'ni>	rish
21	<d'ni>]</d'ni>	<d'ni>rigafa</d'ni>	rigahfah
22	<d'ni>\</d'ni>	<d'ni>rigabrE</d'ni>	rigahbree
23	<d'ni>{</d'ni>	<d'ni>rigasen</d'ni>	rigahsehn
24	<d'ni>}</d'ni>	<d'ni>rigator</d'ni>	rigahtor
25	</d'ni>	<d'ni>fasE</d'ni>	fahsee

The single-digit symbol for 25 was used for special occasions and shorthand, much like we use the Roman numeral "X" for ten. Typically, the D'ni would use <d'ni>10</d'ni> to write 25. There is also a "wrapped zero" character (<d'ni>=</d'ni>) used for cyclic sequences, such as clock faces, which would count from 0 through 24 and then wrap back to zero.

Powers of 25

Just as we have terms for tens, hundreds, thousands, etc., so the D'ni also had names for each power of 25.

Power of 25	Base-10 value	D'ni place value	D'ni word	Transliteration
250	1	<d'ni>1</d'ni>	<d'ni>fa</d'ni>	fah
251	25	<d'ni>10</d'ni>	<d'ni>fasE</d'ni>	fahsee
252	625	<d'ni>100</d'ni>	<d'ni>fara</d'ni>	fahrah
253	15,625	<d'ni>1000</d'ni>	<d'ni>falen</d'ni>	fahlen
254	390,625	<d'ni>10000</d'ni>	<d'ni>famel</d'ni>	fahmel
255	9,765,625	<d'ni>100000</d'ni>	<d'ni>fablO</d'ni>	fahblo

Reading numbers

The place values above can be directly compared to the words used in English to indicate our place values. For instance, 100 is "one hundred." Similarly, in D'ni, "fahsee" (<d'ni>fasE</d'ni>) means "one twenty-five." To indicate larger sums within that place value (such as, for example, fifty), you would say "breesee" (<d'ni>brEsE</d'ni>), or "two twenty-fives."

When reading long numbers, you read them left to right in a string. For example, 233 (<d'ni>98</d'ni>) would be spoken as "vahgahtorsee vahgahsehn" (<d'ni>vagatorsE vagasen</d'ni>), or "nine twenty-five, eight," just as we say "two hundred thirty-three" in English.