The following cmavo are discussed in this section:

Not all the cmavo of PA represent numbers in the usual mathematical sense. For example, the cmavo ro means “all” or “each” . This number does not have a definite value in the abstract: li ro is undefined. But when used to count or quantify something, the parallel between ro and pa is clearer:

Example 18.41 might be true, whereas Example 18.42 is almost certainly false.

The cmavo so'a , so'e , so'i , so'o , and so'u represent a set of indefinite numbers less than ro . As you go down an alphabetical list, the magnitude decreases:

The English equivalents are only rough: the cmavo provide space for up to five indefinite numbers between ro and no , with a built-in ordering. In particular, so'e does not mean “most” in the sense of “a majority” or “more than half” .

Each of these numbers, plus ro , may be prefixed with pi (the decimal point) in order to make a fractional form which represents part of a whole rather than some elements of a totality. piro therefore means “the whole of” :

Similarly, piso'a means “almost the whole of” ; and so on down to piso'u , “a tiny part of” . These numbers are particularly appropriate with masses, which are usually measured rather than counted, as Example 18.48 shows.

In addition to these cmavo, there is no'o , meaning “the typical value” , and pino'o , meaning “the typical portion” : Sometimes no'o can be translated “the average value” , but the average in question is not, in general, a mathematical mean, median, or mode; these would be more appropriately represented by operators.

da'a is a related cmavo meaning “all but” :

Example 18.52 is similar in meaning to Example 18.43 .

If no number follows da'a , then pa is assumed; da'a by itself means “all but one” , or in ordinal contexts “all but the last” :

(The use of da'a means that Example 18.53 does not require that all rats can eat themselves, but does allow it. Each rat has one rat it cannot eat, but that one might be some rat other than itself. Context often dictates that “itself” is, indeed, the “other” rat.)

As mentioned in Section 18.3 , ma'u and ni'u are also legal numbers, and they mean “some positive number” and “some negative number” respectively.

All of the numbers discussed so far are objective, even if indefinite. If there are exactly six superpowers ( rairgugde , “superlative-states” ) in the world, then ro rairgugde means the same as xa rairgugde . It is often useful, however, to express subjective indefinite values. The cmavo rau (enough), du'e (too many), and mo'a (too few) are then appropriate:

Like the so'a -series, rau , du'e , and mo'a can be preceded by pi ; for example, pirau means “a sufficient part of.”

Another possibility is that of combining definite and indefinite numbers into a single number. This usage implies that the two kinds of numbers have the same value in the given context:

Example 18.59 assumes a mostly monogamous culture by stating that three is “many” .