Cacua

Language name and locationː Cacua, Vaupés, Colombia [Refer to Ethnologue]
语言名称和分布地区: 卡夸语, 哥伦比亚东南部沃佩斯省

1. bǐk ''one''

2. tʃên ''two''

3. bǐk-pejʔ-kan-ni ''three'' (lit. one-be.friend/together-NEG-ADJVZ 'one with no company)
pejʔ might be a grammaticalized form of peh-h?m 'be.friends/together-exist', as for
now, it can only be translated as 'three', always a bound form.

4. tʃên-na-mîk ''four'' (two/partner-PL.inanimate-reciprocal 'each other have a partner')

5. bǐk-hĩʔ-bǔ tejʔja ''five'' (one-conmitative-LOC/EMPHZ hand 'with one hand')

6. bǐk-hĩʔ-bǔ tejʔja bǐk-têjʔ-tib-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''six'' (one-COMM-LOC/EMPHZ hand one-
hand-finger-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with one hand [and] take one finger out')

7. bǐk-hĩʔ-bǔ tejʔja tʃêne-têjʔ-tib-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''seven'' (one-COMM-LOC/EMPHZ hand
two/partner-hand-finger-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with one hand [and]take two
fingers out')

8. bǐk-hĩʔ-bǔ tejʔja bǐk-pêjʔ-kan-ni-têjʔ-tib-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''eight'' (one-COMM-
LOC/EMPHZ hand one-friend-NEG-ADJVZ-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with one
hand [and] take three out')

9. bǐk-hĩʔ-bǔ tejʔja tʃêne-na-mîk-têjʔ-tib-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''nine'' (one-COMM-LOC/EMPHZ
hand two/partner-PL.INAN-RECIPR-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with one hand [and]
take four fingers out')

10. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja ''ten'' (two/partner-PL.anim like.this-hand 'two hands like this')

11. tʃên-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ hit-tib-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''eleven'' (two/partner-PL.anim
like.this-hand-COMM foot-finger-AUG-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with two hands
like this [and] take one big foot finger out')

12. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ tʃêne-hit-tib-na-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''twelve''

13. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-pêjʔ-kan-ni-hit-tib-na-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''thirteen''

14. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ tʃêne-na-mîk-hit-tib-na-beʔ-duʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''fourteen''

15. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-hitʃa ʔɨbʔ-ni ''fifteen'' (two/partner-PL.anim like.this-
hand-comm one-foot take.out-ADJVZ 'with two hands like this [and] take one foot
out")

16. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-hitʃa-hĩʔ hit-tib-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''sixteen''(two/partner-
PL.anim like.this-hand-comm one-foot-comm foot-finger-AUG-CL:pointed take.out-
ADJVZ 'with two hands like this with one feet [and] take one finger foot out")

17. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-hitʃa-hĩʔ tʃêne-na-hit-tib-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni ''seventeen''
     (two/partner-PL.anim like.this-hand-comm one-foot-comm two/partner-PL-foot-
     finger-AUG-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with two hands like this with one feet [and]
     take two finger foot out")

18. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-hitʃa-hĩʔ bǐk-pêjʔ-kan-nit-hit-tib-na-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni
     ''eighteen'' (two/partner-PL.anim like.this-hand-comm one-foot-comm one-
     be.friend-NEG-PL-foot-finger-AUG-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with two hands like
     this with one feet [and] take three finger foot out")

19. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ bǐk-hitʃa-hĩʔ tʃêne-na-mîk-dubʔ-hit-tib-na-beʔ-dubʔ ʔɨbʔ-ni
     ''nineteen'' (two/partner-PL.anim like.this-hand-comm one-foot-comm two/partner-
     PL-REC-foot-finger-AUG-CL:pointed take.out-ADJVZ 'with two hands like this with
     one feet [and] take four finger foot out"

20. tʃêne-wã paʔ-têiʔja-hĩʔ tʃêne-wã paʔ-hitʃa-bed-ni ''twenty'' (two/partner-PL.anim
like.this-hand-comm two-pl.anim like.this-foot-be.full-adjvz 'with two hands [and]
two feet'

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. Katherine Bolaños, Department of Linguistics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany, August 26, 2013

提供资料的语言学家: Dr. Katherine Bolaños , 2013 年 8 月 26 日

Other comments: Cacua or Kakua, Kãkwã is spoken by approximately 220 speakers in Vaupés department: Wacará, 30 km east of Mitú, Colombia.

Cacua or Kakua has a traditional counting system up to twenty based on the numbers of fingers and toes of a person. The counting system described by Cathcart ("from little finger on the left hand, coming across to the thumb, and then touching the thumb on the right...") is actually the way that missionaries have taught the Christianized indigenous people to count. The way used by elders (who had been in less contact/less Christianized) is in fact drastically different.

For expressing "one/two", elders join together index finger + heart/middle finger (see picture 1). It is consistent with the cultural system of exchanging partners, as the ideal individual is conceived as minimally a couple.

Following, to represent "three", index and middle fingers are joint together, while the ring finger is left up but not touching the other two (see picture 2). This, in most translations of the languages of the area, can be translated as (or near to) 'one with no companion/one with no friend'.

Number 'four' is expressed by joining index and middle fingers on one side, and ring and little finger joined together aside (see picture 3). In most languages of the area this is expressed by a concept near to 'two having a friend/companion).

Number five is expressed by leaving thumb finger alone, while index and middle finger are joined together, and ring and little finger joined together as well (see picture 4).

Number six (picture 5), is expressed by joining thumb finger of one hand with thumb finger of the other, index and middle finger joined together, and ring and little finger joined together. So on, with number 7, 8, 9, 10.

I have not encountered terms to refer to concepts as 20, 40, 50, 100. Instead, terms in Spanish are used.

Usually any concept beyond 5 is expressed with Spanish loans. However, no exact expecification is needed, the term referring to 'many' (or similar concepts) is used.

Language name and locationː Cacua, Vaupés, Colombia [Refer to Ethnologue]
语言名称和分布地区: 卡夸语, 哥伦比亚东南部沃佩斯省

1. biík

2. čéne

3. biík peiʔ-kan-ni

4. čéne-na-míic

5. biíkhĩʔ-bù téiʔya (lit: 'one hand' )

6. biíkhĩʔ-bù téiʔya, téih-tíib-beh-dah čɨ̃íʔni (lit: 'one hand, thumb touching' ) *

7. biíkhĩʔ-bù téiʔya, hʉ́u-at-doóɓ čɨ̃íʔni (lit: 'one hand, pointer finger touching' ) *

8. biíkhĩʔ-bù téiʔya, tak-yoobó-doóɓ čɨ̃íʔni (lit: 'one hand, middle finger touching' ) *

9. biíkhĩʔ-bù téiʔya, nʉmp-bóo-doóɓ čɨ̃íʔni ('one hand, next to last finger touching' ) *

10. čén-at-paʔ téiʔya (lit: 'both hands' ) *

11. čénat-paʔ téiʔya, hít-tíb-beʔ-duʔ čɨ̃íʔni (lit: 'both hands, big toe touching' )

12. čénat-paʔ téiʔya, čéne hít-tíb-doóɓ ɨb̃ni (lit: 'both hands, taking two toe' )

13. čénat-paʔ téiʔya, (lit: 'both hands, taking three toes' )

14. čénat-paʔ téiʔya, (lit: 'both hands, taking three toes' )

15. čénat-paʔ téiʔya beéd, bík hítča čɨ̃íʔni (lit: 'both hands, one foot touching' )

16.(lit: 'both hands complete, one foot complete and the big toe touching' )

17.(lit: 'both hands, one foot very complete, taking two toes ' )

18. lit: 'both hands, one foot very complete, taking three toes ' )

19. lit: 'both hands, one foot very complete, taking four toes ' )

20. čénat-paʔ téiʔya beéd, čénat-paʔ hítča čɨ̃íʔni ( 'both complete, both feet touching' )

Linguist providing data and dateː Ms. Marilyn Cathcart, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Colombia, July 14, 1994.

提供资料的语言学家: Ms. Marilyn Cathcart, 1994 年 7 月 14 日

Other comments: Cacua or Kakua, Kãkwã is spoken by approximately 220 speakers in Vaupés department: Wacará, 30 km east of Mitú, Colombia. Cacua has a traditional counting system up to twenty based on the numbers of fingers and toes of a person. Counting from the little finger on the left hand, coming across to the thumb, and then touching the thumb on the right hand and so forth, each finger, and then each toes, is elevated, after having been closed as a unit. The numbers above are neutral. However, an animate suffix (wã) may be added. ''Two'' (referring to people) is therefore čéne-wã. There are alternate forms for 20, 40, 50 and 100 by using person as followsː

20. bík kã́ak-íʔ hítča beed-íʔ (litː one person's (hands and) feet complete ).

40. čéne kã́ak-íʔ hítča beed-iʔ (litː two people's (hands and) feet complete ).

50. čéne kã́ak-íʔ hítča beed bíʔ kã́ak-íʔ téiʔya čɨ̃íʔni (litː two people's feet complete,

another person's hand touching ).

The terms fro 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 20 are the only ones in common usage. Because of the length of the names of the other numbers and fact that different people may say them a little bit different, normally the appropriate numbers of fingers and toes are shown and the person says 'bói', which means ''many''. Anything over 15 or 20 is usually treated as ''many''. Only a few of the old people even try to express other quantities using specific words. Among those young people who have studied a little of arithmetic, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 20 may be spoken of using either Cacua term or Spanish word, but for any other number the Spanish word is always use.

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