Re: Fw: [tied] Re: IE right & 10

----- Original Message -----
From: Harald Hammarström
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 8:39 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: [tied] Re: IE right & 10
>> >> 1. Binary (e.g. Jawony, the Gunwinyguan family of Australian
>> macro-phylum)
>> >> (i.e. 1, 2, 2+1, 2+2, 2+2+1, ...)
>> >> 2. Organized in pairs (e.g. Old Japanese: 1/2 fitö/futa, 3/6 mi/mu,
4/8
>> >> yö/ya, 5/10 i-tu/töwo; Nama of the Khoi-San m-p.: /gui & /gaw "1" &
"2",
>> >> etc.)
>> >> 3. Ternary (e.g. Yukaghir: 1,2,3,3+1,...,3+3,...)
>> >>
>> >>What? Yukaghir ternary?? Do you have a source for this? Kolyma or
Tundra?
>>
>> Kolyma, Waldemar Jochelson, 1905: Essay on the grammar of Yukaghir
language.
>> Annals of the N.Y. Academy of Sciences, XVI.5,II,pp.97-152
>
>Thanks, I will check it. My E. Maslova "Kolyma Yukaghir" 2003 says nothing
>of the sort though..
>
>> >> 4. Qaternary (e.g. Chumash of Santa Barbara: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4&1, 4&2,
4&3,
>> >> 8...)
>> >> 5. Quinary (e.g. Sumerian, where the ternary system was also used,
etc.)
>> >In what sense do you mean the ternary system was also used?
>> >
>> >Harald
>>
>> Sumerian: See Igor M. Diakonoff, 1983: Some reflections on numerals in
>> Sumerian towards a history of mathematical speculation. Journal of the
>> American Oriental Society 103, pp. 83-93; Dombrowski F.A. & B.W.W., 1991:
>> Numerals and numeral systems in the Hamito-Semitic and other language
>> groups. In: Semitic Studies in honor of W. Leslau, ed. A.S. Kaye.
Wiesbaden:
>> Harrassowitz, pp. 340-81
>>
>> I won't give you any examples, but in short, there was one system which
used
>> quinary counting (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5+1, 5+2, 5+3 etc., higher numeral
follow
>> different patterns) and another one which used ternary counting
(1,2,3,3+1
>> and similar), and even ternal count of days (be, be-be, PES, PES-be,
>> PES-be-be etc...I've just found myself giving examples, ha ha :-))
>
>I have those papers, but this ternal system was used for special purposes
>or counting special items and not, like the 5-10-20-60 system, for
>counting an open class of objects. These special systems are not so
interesting
>I think and occur anywhere. For example I count beers in sixpacks because
they

I really DO think they're interesting, but we'll disagree here. Why are you
asking me questions to which you've already found the answers???

>are sold that way. Four sixpacks is a "platta" (carton) btw, and some say
>it's no coincidence that there are 24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a
>platta ;-).
>
>Harald

Ok, what then was sold in groups of 4 in the ancient Sumer? :-) Reveal that
great secret to my humble being, please...

Petusek