Re: 5 = "hand"

From: Rick McCallister
Message: 63716
Date: 2009-03-31

--- On Tue, 3/31/09, Pavel A. da Mek <a.da_mek0@...> wrote:

. . .
> > there are languages where 2 =
> "many", 5 = "hand", etc.
>
> There were two systems of counting on fingers or digits:
> excluding the
>
> thumb and including the thumb. So the numeral 5 was
> literally "with
>
> thumb" and 4 "without". This allows us to
> reconstruct pre-PIE words
>
> kWe "with"
>
> pen "thumb"
>
> twor "out"
>
> pen-kWe "with thumb > five"
>
> kWe-twor "without > four"
>
Be that as it may, we need to think through when and why numbers evolved --for agriculture, trade and or animal raising?
Think why IE numbers are so coherent and AA aren't
Think about a few tantalizing coincidences: 7, oct- for 4/8 in IE/Caucasus.
Regarding IE five, some have seen 5 as "hand" or "all (the fingers of the hand)", others have seen finger as "fifth"
I've also seen kilo explained as "handful (of seed/sand/etc.)"
etc.