Loreto:
> You mean it (four) was associated with 'death' because they sound
> the same anyway.
Yes, in Mandarin (Chinese dialect), you have /si/ pronounced with
falling tone (like at the end of an English sentence) means "four".
However, /si/ pronounced with low-rising tone (like the rising
intonation at the end of a yes-no question) is "die" or "death".
> If you're right then it could be before the split of the Japanese
> forms with the Chinese.
I _am_ right. I speak basic Chinese for god's sakes. Second, Japanese
and Chinese are **NOT** related. I shouldn't even have to tell you
this because you are grown-up enough to look this basic information up
in an encyclopaedia at your school library. You can even find plenty
of information online as you're typing these posts in any language
you feel comfortable with. Why don't you try that?
= gLeN