The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development — John Shaqi
The Number Concept: Its Origin and DevelopmentConant, Levi L. (Levi Leonard)
History
The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development
Conant, Levi L. (Levi Leonard)
Number concept
This finishes the list of original simple numerals, the Zuni stopping, or
"notching off," when he finishes the fingers of one hand. Compounding now
begins.
6. topalik'ya = another brought to add to the done with.
7. kwillilik'ya = two brought to and held up with the rest.
8. hailik'ye = three brought to and held up with the rest.
9. tenalik'ya = all but all are held up with the rest.
10. aestem'thila = all the fingers.
11. aestem'thla topayae'thl'tona = all the fingers and another over
above held.
The process of formation indicated in 11 is used in the succeeding numerals
up to 19.
20. kwillik'yenaestem'thlan = two times all the fingers.
100. aessiaestem'thlak'ya = the fingers all the fingers.
1000. aessiaestem'thlanak'yenaestem'thla = the fingers all the fingers
times all the fingers.
The only numerals calling for any special note are those for 11 and 9. For
9 we should naturally expect a word corresponding in structure and meaning
to the words for 7 and 8. But instead of the "four brought to and held up
with the rest," for which we naturally look, the Zuni, to show that he has
used all of his fingers but one, says "all but all are held up with the
rest." To express 11 he cannot use a similar form of composition, since he
has already used it in constructing his word for 6, so he says "all the
fingers and another over above held."
The one remarkable point to be noted about the Zuni scale is, after all,
the formation of the words for 1 and 2. While the savage almost always
counts on his fingers, it does not seem at all certain that these words
would necessarily be of finger formation. The savage can always distinguish
between one object and two objects, and it is hardly reasonable to believe
that any external aid is needed to arrive at a distinct perception of this
difference. The numerals for 1 and 2 would be the earliest to be formed in
any language, and in most, if not all, cases they would be formed long
before the need would be felt for terms to describe any higher number. If
this theory be correct, we should expect to find finger names for numerals
beginning not lower than 3, and oftener with 5 than with any other number.
The highest authority has ventured the assertion that all numeral words
have their origin in the names of the fingers;[69] substantially the same
conclusion was reached by Professor Pott, of Halle, whose work on numeral
nomenclature led him deeply into the study of the origin of these words.
But we have abundant evidence at hand to show that, universal as finger
counting has been, finger origin for numeral words has by no means been
universal. That it is more frequently met with than any other origin is
unquestionably true; but in many instances, which will be more fully
considered in the following chapter, we find strictly non-digital
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