Re: [tied] Re: IE right & 10

> > > Was there really a base 6 counting system in Uralic? I mean,
> > > do 12, 18, etc. function in any way like 20, 30 in the decimal
> > > system?
> >
> > No (the idea stems from a bad-reasoned article in 1960). There are no
> > traces in Uralic of 6 as a base i.e no words 6+1 etc or monomorphemic
> > words for 12, 18 etc or 6 contained in 12, 18 etc.
> > /H
>
> Yes, my doubts turned out to be reasonable. By the way, is anybody aware of
> any system like that, i.e. 6, 6+6, 6+6+6 (or 6-dual, 6-plural or sim.) in
> any language? I am afraid there is no system like that...

There are (or were) attested true base-6 systems in Frederik-Hendrik island
outside Papua New Guinea. But it is 6, 2x6, 3x6 etc (see source below).
There is other evidence of base-6 in Guinea (in Africa) as well as in
some North American Indian lgs but it's not so systematic nor
well-attested (ask for sources).

/H

@Article{,
author = {P. Drabbe},
journal = {Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde},
title = {Bijzonderheden uit de talen van Frederik-Hendrik-Eiland:
Kimaghama, Ndom en Riantana},
year = {1949},
volume = {105},
pages = {1-24}
}