Re: Paleoasiatic (was: Favourite Language Group?)

Tim May writes:
 > John Cowan writes:
 >  > Tim May scripsit:
 >  >
 >  > > at least 26 numeral classes,
 >  >
 >  > Probably the degenerate descendants of a classifier+numeral+noun system.
 >  >
 >
 > Possibly.  They sound rather unusual to me, although I don't know much
 > about numeral classes/classifiers beyond Japanese.  I can copy _that_
 > part, anyway.  Here it is.
 >
 > |Numerals
 > |
 > |Nivkh has specific sets of numerals for the enumeration of various
 > |categories of objects - boats, people, animals, fishing-nets, small
 > |round obj.cts, etc.  Panfilov (1962) lists 26 such sets.  For example,
 > |`three' with reference to people is _t'aqr_; to animals, _t'3m_; to
 > |sweep-nets, _t'for_; etc.  It is noteworthy that the palatalised t'
 > |remains stable as initial in all variants, an the same stability
 > |applies in other numbers.  Thus, _n'_ is the initial for the 26
 > |variants of _n'im_ 1, and m is the initial for all variants of _mim_ 2.
 >

Incidentally, those 's should be prime marks, signifying
palatalization, rather than single quotes or apostrophes, which
signify aspiration.  I don't see how I could adequately have
represented that in ASCII, even if I'd noticed (without converting
everything to X-SAMPA).  I guess I could have used `, although it
really points the wrong way for either.

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