Re: [tied] Etruscan numerals

> Harald:
> >> Well, I perfectly agree.
> >>
> >> As for the semantics of "5" > "4" (or v.v.), I've been too buy to look
> for
> >> any examples, yet.
> >
> >I highly doubt there are any.
> >
> >> However, there are some languages (don't ask me where,
> >> when or which) forming "4" < "lesser 5"/"lesser fist"/"lesser hand" or
> sim.
> >> in the world, aren't they....?
> >
> >Maybe, but I don't think so since I have never seen a case. There is an
> >abundance of such cases for numbers above five though.
>
> Anatolian *meyu- "4", originally "less (hand)" or "little (finger)", cf.
> Greek my'ops "little finger", mei'on "lesser"

I think this etymon is rather Hittite-Luvian than pan-Anatolian. Moreover
we don't know if it's meaning was "four" rather than something similar
like "group of four" or "member of a group of four", or whether it was
the standard Hittite cardinal.

If anything, this etymon means "small (hand)" rather than "lesser 5",
according to Eichner in "The Indo-European Numerals".

/H