Re: Old Japanese Numbers (was: Why borrow 'seven'?)

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Wordingham"
<richard.wordingham@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, enlil@... wrote:
> >
> > Exu:
> > > I have seen that. Kind of like organizing English as
> > >
> > > one
> > > two three
> > > four five
> > > six seven
> > > eight n-ine
> > > ten
> >
> > Not at all. Perhaps, considering that you goofed when it came
> to "shi",
> > you should listen for once. This is common knowledge and the

vowel

> > harmony that Altaic languages in general are known for is

evident

> in
> > the Old Japanese forms. The vowel alternations are predictable.
> None
> > of this pattern is random at all. To dismiss this is like
> dismissing
> > chemistry in favour of alchemy. Look again, Exu.
>
> Could you explain the systematic pattern, please. I can't see one.
>
> Richard.

The Japanese forms ichi, ni, san, shi etc. clearly comes from
Sinitic. But the Native/Old Japanese seem to derive more from
Hmongic. And maybe not Altaic.
See Zompist and it is not just because they were near to each other.

I always imagine the OJ 'hito(tsu)' as derived or related to the
existing Japanese for man/male. And it is negated by 'futa' which is
number two. Futa could any be of Japanese 'lid', 'a monster' or a
certain wood. The word 'buta' or "pig" could also be related.

But if it is a negative of 'hito' then it should be "woman". We do
know of Spanish 'puta' for "prostitute". But that I think is far-off.
Down under in austronesia forms like p-t-(r)
denote 'girl', 'princess', and 'prostitute' too.

Old Japanese as well as Okinawan could be Austronesian.

Loreto