Language name and location: Maung (Mawng), Australia [Refer to Ethnologue]

言名称和分布地区马翁语, 澳大利亚北部阿纳姆地区古尔本

 

1. -arakap [ʌɽʌkʌp]  (inflects for person, number and gender with a prefix )          

2. nɡarrkarrk [ŋʌɾkʌɾk]

3. nɡarrkarrk la nɡarrkarrk ( lit: la = 'and' )

4. nɡarrkarrk la y-arakap
5. wurrkamaj yurnu ( lit: side/opposite hand /foot, 'one side of the hand )
9. Wurrkamaj yurnu la ngarrkarrk la ngarrkarrk

 

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. Ruth Singer, Department of Linguistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia April 5, 2009.
供资料的语言学家: Dr. Ruth Singer, 2009 年 4 月 5 日.

 

Other comments: Maung has only two words for numbers 1 to 2. Interestingly in the expression for 'three' the numeral -arakap usually has singular agreement even though the whole expression takes plural agreement and the plural article - but occasionally the numeral -arakap 'one' takes plural agreement. The term wurrkamaj yurnu [side/ /opposite hand/foot] 'one side of the hand' is used for 'five'. The term wurrkamaj seems to be an old form of wurrkara which is now used to mean 'opposite' or 'one side'. I have not recorded many examples of numerals higher than five but it is clearly possible to add the terms together to get higher numerals. Wurrkamaj yurnu la ngarrkarrk la ngarrkarrk ja kurrana. = Nine months.


 

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