long-digit interpretation specifier; macrodigit named base specifier
When a string of multiple digits is on either side of pi'e, the string is to be interpreted as a single "macrodigit" in the longer numeric string; let the digits that compose it be called "microdigits" for clarity. By default, the macrodigit is interpreted as being written/expressed in some cultural or grammatical default (this default is overridden by ju'au if its specifying sumti requires an alternative interpretation for the value of the macrodigits), probably decimal- the interpretation of the string of microdigits produces a number, x; the "pi'e" implies the denominator to be used in determining the fraction for which x is in the numerator and context or possibly a specified base determines its value- in timekeeping, the interpretation is typically x/60 for certain macrodigits. However, the default for determining the value of x given a string of microdigits might be useful to override (for example, Tsohnai uses an overall factorial base but each macrodigit is written in balanced quinary); this word specifies the base used for interpreting the macrodigit from a string of microdigits. It is placed at the end of the string (possibly before the next "pi'e") and its scope of effect extends from there, through the string of microdigits, to either the beginning of the number as a whole or the most recent "pi'e" (whichsoever was more recently uttered). It is to be followed by a sumti (or multiple sumti strung together by connectives) and has its scope of specification terminate with that sumti; in this regard, it works syntactically and semantically exactly like ju'au. In fact, ju'au can be used outside of the number in order to specify the macrodigit interpretation instead of this word (for example, if its sumti were la .tsonais., this word would not be needed); however, if only a sequence were to have been given as the argument of ju'au (such as the factorial sequence) and if some base other than decimal were desired for the interpretation of each macrodigit from the string of microdigits, then this word would be used. If only one macrodigit appears in the number, then this word is equivalent to ju'au. In short, the scope of this word is one contiguous string of microdigits, and it influences their interpretation into a macrodigit value in the same way that ju'au does. However, if both ju'au and this word specify how to interpret a given string of microdigits in the same number (composed of macrodigits), this word overrides the interpretation specified by ju'au (but only for this macrodigit); thus, for example, a Tsohnai number can have each of its macrodigits be interpreted in balanced quinary except one, which the speaker specifies via this word, because they know the value but did not want to convert it to balanced quinary (because it may be too large or hard to do so easily), so they instead expressed it in decimal.