ABSTRACT
Counting systems across languages offers understandinginto cultural diversity and linguistic complexities. This study looks into the morpholexical analysis of the Esan counting system, an understudied aspect of the Esan language spoken predominantly in Edo State, Nigeria. Despite existing research on Esan numerals, a comprehensive morpholexical analysis is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the operational features, basic numerals, cardinal and ordinal numbers, principles of addition and subtraction, and underlying derived forms within the Esan numerical framework. Through interviews with native speakers, field observations, and analysis of secondary sources, the study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of Esan numerals' linguistic complexities and cultural significance. By bridging this gap, the research contributes to the broader field of linguistics and aids in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Esan people.
The findings of the study reveal the operational features of the numeral system in Esan, the study reveals the basic numeral in the Esan counting system ranging from 1-10, it reveals the cardinal and ordinal numbers, and also reveal the principle governing addition and subtraction in the Esan numerical systems. All these put together tend to come up with a comprehensive morpholexical exploration of the Esan numerals.
