Language name and locationː Arammba, Papua New Guinea [Refer to Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 阿兰姆巴语, 巴布亚新几内亚西部省

1. ŋámbi

2. yànbaru

3. yenówe

4. asàr

5. tambnoy 

6. nimbo, 1 group of six is called tàxwo

36. 6 x 6 is called feté

216. 6 x 26 (216) is called tarumba

1296. 6 x tarumba is called ndamno

7,776.  6 x ndamno is called wermeke

46,656. 6 x wermeke is called wi

. 6 x wi is called xàyo xusu, this means bad smell (too many to eat so they rot, after this they stop counting)

Linguist providing data and dateː Ms. Alma Boevé-Kroese, SIL-International, April 5, 2012.
提供资料的语言学家: Ms. Alma Boevé-Kroese. 2012 年 4 月 5 日.

Other comments: The Arammba people has a six-base counting system belongs to counting and dividing yams. Each year after harvest they are put in yam houses for storage. Arammba is spoken by about 750 speakers in Morehead subprovince, southwest of Suki, Western province, Papua New Guinea.

Armmba counting system is still meaningful also amoung young people that live in the village: apparently they know exactly how many yams are stored in their yam house.

You can count up to 279.936 in Arammba.

1 - ngámbi

2 – yànbaru

3 - yenówe

4 - asàr

5 - tambnoy

6 - nimbo

1 group of six is called tàxwo

6 x 6 – feté

6 x 36(216) – tarumba

6 x tarumba(1296) –ndamno

6 x ndamno(7.776) – wermeke

6 x wermeke(46.656) – wi

6 x wi is called xàyo xusi  this means bad smell (too many to eat so they rot?AB)

After this they stop counting.

Example:

5000 is in Arammba: 3(yenówe) ndamno + 5

(tambnoy) tarumba + 5(tambnoy) taxwo + 2(yànmbaro)

(We used to put this in numbers in the translation. After we explained in the Arammba counting system how much it is, it made sense tot the translator. Arammba people know exactly how many yams are needed for example for a week long feast with all the villagers together (about a 1000 people)