[An-lang] Proto Oceanic for 60

[Malcolm Ross]

Both Johns,

Page 76 of _The Oceanic languages_ does suggest that C-final forms lose
the -C before a C-initial suffix, but it also comments that the
evidence is ambiguous. It is possible that forms with and without -C in
this environment occurred in the early Oceanic dialect network.

It is difficult to find relevant data from Western Oceanic languages
that retain Proto Oceanic final -C, partly because the higher numerals
have often not been collected, part;y because the languages often don't
have them. But I have found one relevant case, Hoava and Roviana
(Northwest Solomonic branch of Meso-Melanesian), where 'six'  is
_onomo_ and 'sixty' is _onomo-nga-vulu_ (p67 of Davis' grammar, and
Waterhouse's dictionary, respectively).

Another place where a relevant cognate could be expected to occur is
the Bali dialect of the Bali-Vitu: maybe an SIL colleague can help you
here.

Malcolm


On 04/03/2004, at 11:40 AM, John Lynch wrote:

> John
>
> Western Oceanists may be able to give you more first-hand information
> on languages which retain final vowels and which have counting systems
> like the one you describe. (The languages I have worked on generally
> stop at 5 !)
>
> However, I suspect that the form would be *ono-nga-puluq. See p.76 of
> the Oceanic languages, where it is suggested that C-final forms lose
> the consonant before a C-initial suffix; though this is in the context
> of possession, I suspect it would apply here as well.
>
> One other minor comment. *onom is not the only C-final numeral, as the
> numeral '4' has two variant forms, *pat and *pati.
>
> John
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John & Marjo Brownie [mailto:j-m.brownie at sil.org.pg]
> Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2004 10:14 a.m.
> To: AN-LANG at anumail0.anu.edu.au
> Subject: [An-lang] Proto Oceanic for 60
>
> I'm working on a study of numerals in Mussau-Emira, and would like to
> know the Proto Oceanic form for sixty. In the grammar sketch of Proto
> Oceanic in The Oceanic Languages, it gives the tens as
> "*rua-nga-puluq, *tolu-nga-puluq, etc." However, six, *onom, is the
> only numeral which ends in a consonant. So, was sixty
> *onom-nga-puluq, or is an epenthetic vowel inserted? The Mussau-Emira
> reflex has an o inserted, but it's also inserted in six (nomo,
> ghaonomo).
>
> Thanks for any help,
> John
> --
> John Brownie, john_brownie at sil.org or j-m.brownie at sil.org.pg
> Summer Institute of Linguistics      | Mussau-Emira language, Mussau
> Is.
> Ukarumpa, Eastern Highlands Province | New Ireland Province
> Papua New Guinea                     | Papua New Guinea


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