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
In studying the names for 2 we are at once led away from a strictly digital
origin for the terms by which this number is expressed. These names seem to
come from four different sources: (1) roots denoting separation or
distinction; (2) likeness, equality, or opposition; (3) addition, _i.e._
putting to, or putting with; (4) coupling, pairing, or matching. They are
often related to, and perhaps derived from, names of natural pairs, as
feet, hands, eyes, arms, or wings. In the Dakota and Algonkin dialects 2 is
almost always related to "arms" or "hands," and in the Athapaskan to
"feet." But the relationship is that of common origin, rather than of
derivation from these pair-names. In the Puri and Hottentot languages, 2
and "hand" are closely allied; while in Sanskrit, 2 may be expressed by any
one of the words _kara_, hand, _bahu_, arm, _paksha_, wing, or _netra,_
eye.[149] Still more remote from anything digital in their derivation are
the following, taken at random from a very great number of examples that
might be cited to illustrate this point. The Assiniboines call 7, _shak ko
we_, or _u she nah_, the odd number.[150] The Crow 1, _hamat,_ signifies
"the least";[151] the Mississaga 1, _pecik_, a very small thing.[152] In
Javanese, Malay, and Manadu, the words for 1, which are respectively
_siji_, _satu_, and _sabuah_, signify 1 seed, 1 pebble, and 1 fruit
respectively[153]--words as natural and as much to be expected at the
beginning of a number scale as any finger name could possibly be. Among
almost all savage races one form or another of palpable arithmetic is
found, such as counting by seeds, pebbles, shells, notches, or knots; and
the derivation of number words from these sources can constitute no ground
for surprise. The Marquesan word for 4 is _pona_, knot, from the practice
of tying breadfruit in knots of 4. The Maori 10 is _tekau_, bunch, or
parcel, from the counting of yams and fish by parcels of 10.[154] The
Javanese call 25, _lawe_, a thread, or string; 50, _ekat_, a skein of
thread; 400, _samas_, a bit of gold; 800, _domas_, 2 bits of gold.[155] The
Macassar and Butong term for 100 is _bilangan_, 1 tale or reckoning.[156]
The Aztec 20 is _cem pohualli_, 1 count; 400 is _centzontli_, 1 hair of the
head; and 8000 is _xiquipilli_, sack.[157] This sack was of such a size as
to contain 8000 cacao nibs, or grains, hence the derivation of the word in
its numeral sense is perfectly natural. In Japanese we find a large number
of terms which, as applied to the different units of the number scale, seem
almost purely fanciful. These words, with their meanings as given by a
Japanese lexicon, are as follows:
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