Re: Numbers from 1-10
| From: | Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Thursday, August 28, 2003, 19:20 |
|---|
En réponse à Chris Bates :
>What happens if your language doesn't stretch to 10 by design? I don't
>have a language like that, but people always mention (I'm not sure if
>its a myth or not) some languages, especially aborigonal ones, which
>supposedly don't have words for higher numbers.... I wonder if it really
>is true, or another peice of information along the likes of "Eskimos
>have lots of words for snow" which derives from the fact that the
>language is poly-synthetic, so there are lots of words, but not lots of
>roots that mean snow.
I think the claim is rather that there are languages with no specialised
number words above three. It doesn't mean that they can't count above
three, but that they don't have a unique way to do it (they use expressions
made up for the occasion, with a transparent meaning). At least, I've read
something like that somewhere (I just don't remember where :(( ).
Christophe Grandsire.
http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr
You need a straight mind to invent a twisted conlang.
Reply