Malayalam numerals are the
numeral system
A numeral system (or system of numeration) is a writing system for expressing numbers; that is, a mathematical notation for representing numbers of a given set, using digits or other symbols in a consistent manner.
The same sequence of symbo ...
of the
Malayalam script used by
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. It is one of several
Indian numeral systems. This system is archaic and nowadays the
Hindu–Arabic numeral system
The Hindu–Arabic numeral system or Indo-Arabic numeral system Audun HolmeGeometry: Our Cultural Heritage 2000 (also called the Hindu numeral system or Arabic numeral system) is a positional decimal numeral system, and is the most common syste ...
is used commonly.
However it is still found in the Malayalam Bible denoting the chapters.
Base numbers
Below is a list of Malayalam numerals with their Hindu–Arabic equivalents as well as their respective Malayalam translations and transliterations.
Originally, a number like "11" would have been written as "൰൧" and not "൧൧" to match the Malayalam word for 11 and "10,00,000" as "൰൱൲" similar to the
Tamil numeral system. Later on this system got reformed to be more similar to the Hindu–Arabic numerals so 10,00,000 in the reformed numerals it would be .
Old system
Suppose the number is "2013". It is read in Malayalam as "രണ്ടായിരത്തി പതിമൂന്ന്" (raṇḍāyiratti padimūnnŭ). It is split into:
* രണ്ട് (raṇḍŭ) : 2 - ൨
* ആയിരം (āyiram) : 1000 - ൲
* പത്ത് (pattŭ) : 10 - ൰
* മൂന്ന് (mūnnŭ) : 3 - ൩
Combine them together to get the Malayalam number ൨൲൰൩.
Fractions
In Malayalam you can transcribe any fraction by affixing () after the denominator followed by the numerator, so a fraction like would be read as () 'out of ten, seven' but fractions like and have distinct names (, , ) and () 'half quarter'.
[
]
References
{{reflist
Malayali people
Malayalam language
Numerals