The Toda measure of length is the mogai or mogoi, which corresponds to the cubit, being the length from the elbow to the tips of the fingers. The word is probably related to mogal, the term for fore-arm.
The usual measure of capacity for liquids is the kudi, said to be equal to about four pints. Another measure is the kòni, two of which make one kudi. The kòni probably corresponds to the milking vessel, or pun.
For measuring out grain, the Todas use a special table of measures consisting of âk and kwâ, eleven âk making one kwâ. When measuring out grain, modifications of the ordinary numerals are used.
In the following lines I give these on the right-hand side of the page, those on the left being the ordinary numerals. Urâk is the equivalent of ud âk, or one measure.
| ud | one | ûrâk |
| erd | two | îrâk |
| mûd | three | mâk |
| nonk | four | oponi |
| udz | five | oiâk |
| âr | six | ârâk |
| ö or eu | seven | öâk or euâk |
| öt | eight | ötâk |
| unpoth | nine | unpâk |
| poth | ten | pothâk |
| ponud | eleven | ukwâ |
| ponerd | twelve | ponerdâk |
| ponmûd | thirteen | ponmûdâk |
| ponnonk or pânk | fourteen | ponnonkâk |
| ponudz or podz | fifteen | ponudzâk |
| pâr | sixteen | pârâk |
| pö or pör | seventeen | pöâk |
| pût | eighteen | pûtâk |
| ponpoth | nineteen | ponpothâk |
| evoth | twenty | evothâk |
| evoth ud | twenty-one | evothudâk (doubtful) |
| evoth erd | twenty-two | ikwâ |
| evoth mûd | twenty-three | ikwâ ûrâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | :[[589]] |
| mopoth | thirty | ikwâ ötâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| mopoth mûd | thirty-three | mûkhwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| nâpoth | forty | mûkhwâ öâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| nâpoth nonk | forty-four | nâkhwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| epoth | fifty | nâkhwâ ârâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| epoth udz | fifty-five | aiiwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| âroth | sixty | aiiwâ oiâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| âroth âr | sixty-six | ârwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| övoth | seventy | ârwâ oponi |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| övoth ö | seventy-seven | ökwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| ötvoth | eighty | ökwâ mâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| ötvoth öt | eighty-eight | ötkwâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| unvoth | ninety | ötkwâ ârâk |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| unvoth unpoth | ninety-nine | unpawâ |
| : | : | : |
| : | : | : |
| anûr | hundred | unpawâ ud |
Above a hundred the numbers of kwâ are continued to potkwâ, ponudkwâ, &c., up to twenty kwâ, which make one siligh, and then the people begin again at the beginning.
This occurrence of the number eleven is probably a consequence of the transactions between Todas and Badagas. [[590]]There was some reason to believe that the true Toda measure is the âk (probably a contraction of achok) and that the Badagas brought their grain to the Todas in vessels called kwâ. The kwâ contained eleven of the Toda âk, and hence came about the very unusual proportion between two measures.
In giving ages or any other period of time, the word for year, kwòdr, is often abbreviated to wâ; thus nâpoth kwòdr, forty years, becomes nâpothwâ.
In counting the Todas use their fingers largely and have a special method of indicating the numbers. To signify one, the thumb is placed against the tip of the little finger; for two, against the tip of the ring finger; for three, against the middle finger; for four, against the forefinger; for five, the tip of the index finger is placed over the nail of the thumb; the same position is used for six, while that for seven is the same as for four, and so on, so that when ten is reached the thumb is resting again on the tip of the little finger.