6.943, Disc: Non-decimal counting systems

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-943. Thu Jul 6 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines:  41
 
Subject: 6.943, Disc: Non-decimal counting systems
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
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Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
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Editor for this issue: dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu (Ann Dizdar)
 
---------------------------------Directory-----------------------------------
1)
Date:  Thu, 29 Jun 1995 10:14:46 EDT
From:  stennesl at iia.org ("leslie h. stennes")
Subject:  Non-decimal counting systems
 
---------------------------------Messages------------------------------------
1)
Date:  Thu, 29 Jun 1995 10:14:46 EDT
From:  stennesl at iia.org ("leslie h. stennes")
Subject:  Non-decimal counting systems
 
 
The Fulfulde language of West Africa is based on fives.
So you have separate words for one through five, from then on:
5+1 for six, then 5+2, 5+3, 5+4.  But there is a word for ten:
'sappo' which indicates putting both sets of fingers together.
Then we get 10+1 .... 10+5+4, then a separate word for twenty.
I beleive some dialects use ten times two for twenty.
For thirty, forty, etc. we get 10 x 3 etc.  There are separate
words for hundred and thousand.  1000 x 1000 is probably a
practical limit.
I am sure this is not unique in this area of Africa.
Leslie H. Stennes
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