Language name and location: Mendi Angal, Papua New Guinea [Refer to Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 门迪安加尔语, 巴布亚新几内亚西部省

1. mend

2. kap

3. tep

4. mal  

5. su

6. towa

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. Norm Mundhenk, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea. Information from David Tokun, Solomon Kela, and others. December 15, 1995.

提供资料的语言学家: Dr. Norm Mundhenk, 1995 年 12 月 15 日.

Other comments: The basic Mendi system is built on a base 24, with basically separate

numbers for each unit up to that point. However, the numbers 9-24 are made up of four similar cycles. In some cases there are alternative terms, which are separated by a slash mark (/ ). When this number is reached, it is said to be ''put aside'' as hor mend,

and the counting through 24 takes place again, reaching hor kap. This can continue on through 24 hor: hor tutowapu, or hor hor. Some people consider this to be the largest number, and they do not continue counting beyond it. The expression hor hor with both hands raised and an appropriate facial expression can also imply ''innumerable quantities '' of something. People frequently count the 24 units on their fingers, starting with the thumb of little finger of one hand ( the left hand in most of the examples I saw), then moving to the thumb of the other hand. For numbers 11-20, one can use the fingers again, or else the toes, moving back to four fingers of the left hand for the final four. In some cases, the four finger were down after the previous count, and the final four counts consisted of opening them again. After 10 and 20, the two hands, with closed fingers, are brought together.