Hand gestures: Companion Terms for 7 and 8 (Re: 'eight' some more)

[lcumberl at indiana.edu]

Quoting Koontz John E <John.Koontz at colorado.edu>:


> I think Bob pursued the matter further, though not necessarily in this
> direction.  As I recall it, his hypothesis is that the forms are not
> *s^aak 'hand' + numeral, but *s^aak 'hand' + description of gesture made
> with hand to indicate the numeral in question.  There are various hand
> counting systems that involve using only one hand, and after doing 1-5
> with fingers in some way making some differentiating gestures to handle
> 6-10.  I wish I knew of a survey of such systems - if one exists!
>

On the subject of hand gestures in counting, here's a fairly detailed
description from Denig's "The Assiniboine", written around 1854 at Ft. Union:

"In counting with the hand, an Indian invariably begins with the little finger
of the left, shutting it down forcibly with the thumb of the right; when the
five fingers are thus shut he commences on the thumb of the right, shutting it
with the left fist. When wishing to telegraph by signs a certain number less
than 10 he holds up that number of fingers, beginning with the little finger of
the left hand and keeping the others shut. Should the number be 7, then all the
fingers of the left and thumb and finger of the right would be extended, holding
up his hands, the rest of the fingers closed. Tens are counted by shutting and
opening both hands; thus, 100 would be indicated by shutting and opening both
hands 10 times in succession.  The number 7 has two names, shakkowee and enshand
(the odd number)."


Denig, Edwin Thompson (edited by JNB Hewitt with a new introduction by David R.,
Miller). Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center, 2000:26. (p.420 in Hewitt's
46th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution 1928-1929)