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
5. kani-iktsi-mo = 1 hand alone.
10. yowa-iktsi-bo = all the hands.
15. kani-tao-mo = 1 foot alone.
20. kani-pume = 1 man.
By the time 20 is reached the savage has probably allowed his conception of
any aggregate to be so far modified that this number does not present
itself to his mind as 4 fives. It may find expression in some phraseology
such as the Kiriris employ--"both hands together with the feet"--or in the
shorter "ended both feet" of the Zamucos, in which case we may presume that
he is conscious that his count has been completed by means of the four sets
of fives which are furnished by his hands and feet. But it is at least
equally probable that he instinctively divides his total into 2 tens, and
thus passes unconsciously from the quinary into the decimal scale. Again,
the summing up of the 10 fingers and 10 toes often results in the concept
of a single whole, a lump sum, so to speak, and the savage then says "one
man," or something that gives utterance to this thought of a new unit. This
leads the quinary into the vigesimal scale, and produces the combination so
often found in certain parts of the world. Thus the inevitable tendency of
any number system of quinary origin is toward the establishment of another
and larger base, and the formation of a number system in which both are
used. Wherever this is done, the greater of the two bases is always to be
regarded as the principal number base of the language, and the 5 as
entirely subordinate to it. It is hardly correct to say that, as a number
system is extended, the quinary element disappears and gives place to the
decimal or vigesimal, but rather that it becomes a factor of quite
secondary importance in the development of the scale. If, for example, 8 is
expressed by 5-3 in a quinary decimal system, 98 will be 9 x 10 + 5-3. The
quinary element does not disappear, but merely sinks into a relatively
unimportant position.
One of the purest examples of quinary numeration is that furnished by the
Betoya scale, already given in full in Chapter III., and briefly mentioned
at the beginning of this chapter. In the simplicity and regularity of its
construction it is so noteworthy that it is worth repeating, as the first
of the long list of quinary systems given in the following pages. No
further comment is needed on it than that already made in connection with
its digital significance. As far as given by Dr. Brinton the scale is:
1. tey.
2. cayapa.
3. toazumba.
4. cajezea = 2 with plural termination.
5. teente = hand.
6. teyente tey = hand 1.
7. teyente cayapa = hand 2.
8. teyente toazumba = hand 3.
9. teyente caesea = hand 4.
10. caya ente, or caya huena = 2 hands.
11. caya ente-tey = 2 hands 1.
15. toazumba-ente = 3 hands.
16. toazumba-ente-tey = 3 hands 1.
20. caesea ente = 4 hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account