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[edit]

Numbers 0 - 25[edit]

Decimal number D'ni symbol D'ni word Transliteration
0 0 rUn roon
1 1 fa fah
2 2 brE bree
3 3 sen sen
4 4 tor tor
5 5 vat vaht
6 6 vagafa vahgahfah (five-and-one)
7 7 vagabrE vahgahbree
8 8 vagasen vahgahsen
9 9 vagator vahgahtor
10 ) nAvU nayvoo
11 ! nAgafa naygahfah
12 @ nAgabrE naygahbree
13 # nAgasen naygahsen
14 $ nAgator naygahtor
15 % hEbor heebor
16 ^ hEgafa heegahfah
17 & hEgabrE heegahbree
18 * hEgasen heegahsen
19 ( hEgator heegahtor
20 [ riS rish
21 ] rigafa rigahfah
22 \ rigabrE rigahbree
23 { rigasen rigahsen
24 } rigator rigahtor
25 | fasE 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 10 to write 25. There is also a "wrapped zero" character (= ) used for cyclic sequences, such as clock faces, which would count from 0 through 24 and then wrap back to zero, and an "infinity" symbol (+ ).

Powers of 25[edit]

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 1 fa fah
251 25 10 fasE fahsee
252 625 100 fara fahrah
253 15,625 1000 falen fahlen
254 390,625 10000 famel fahmel
255 9,765,625 100000 fablO fahblo

Reading numbers[edit]

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" (fasE) means "one twenty-five." To indicate larger sums within that place value (such as, for example, fifty), you would say "breesee" (brEsE), or "two twenty-fives."

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