Re: One two three

----- Original Message -----

From: John Croft

To: cybalist@egroups.com

Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 1:46 AM

Subject: [tied] Re: Nostratic versus NonIE substrate: direct or not?

John,

 

Don't confuse Sumerian arithmetic with the Sumerian counting system. The latter was a rather complex variation on the "base 5" theme, with decimal/vigesimal elements, e.g. (transcription simplified to a didactically useful minimum):

 

1    aS

2    min

3    eS

4    limmu

5    i

...

7    imin = i-min 'five and two'

...

9    ilimmu = i-limmu 'five and four'

10   hu

20   niS = ni-aS 'one body, score' (hands and feet, i.e. fingers and toes)

30   uSu = eS-hu 'three times ten'

40   nimin = niS-min 'two score'

50   ninnu = [niS-min]-hu 'two score and ten'

60   ngeS 'tool'

...

600  ngeSu = ngeS-hu 'ten times sixty'

 

Piotr

I have great concern with duch reconstructions.  OK it is true that PIE might have been a base 10 culture, but the assumption that all Nostratics were also base 10 is a huge supposition.  Sumerians seem to have operated originally on a base 6, that when it came in contact with the Middle East became a 60 (Hence 60 seconds, 360 degrees etc).
Many cultures work comfortably in a base five counting system, with higher numbers being "one lot of five, two lots of five" etc.  Papua New Guineans in the highlands use a base 15 body counting system, 5 for each hand and then five more (left elbow, left shoulder, head, right shoulder and right elbow).  Aboriginal Australians count on a base three.

Hope this helps

Regards

John