Language name and locationː Nadëb, Amazonas state, Brazil [Refer to Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 纳德布语, 巴西西北部亚马逊州内格罗河支流热带雨林

1. 'ʃɛt hɛ̃

2. po'wɔp hɛ̃  (probably comes from 'other/next tip/finger' – also means 'a few' or 'some')

3. tamaw'oːb hɛ̃  

4. ji meh'eːt pɛh (litː "the one with which one indicates")

5. ji ma poː 'oːw pɛh  (lit: "ones grandfather finger" = thumb)

6. ji ma poː oːw 'ʃeː pɛ (lit: "ones other grandfather finger" = other thumb)

7. ji ma poː 'oːw ʃeː 'pa ɡ^Ɂahə^ɡŋ doː (litː "the one that is besides ones grandfather finger")

10. ji moː ʃa'hõɲ hɛ̃  (lit: "all of ones hands" = both hands )

15. ji moː ʃa'hõɲ hɛ̃, 'ʃɛt hɛ̃ ji t^Ɂɯːᵇm (litː "all of ones hands (and) one of ones feet")*

20. ji ʃa'hõɲ hɛ ji t^Ɂɯːᵇm [ lit: "all of ones feet" = both feet  (and hands) ]

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Rodolfo Senn, SIL International, Brazil.  December 29, 2008.

提供资料的语言学家: Mr. Rodolfo Senn, 2008 年 12 月 29 日.

Other comments: Nadëb or or Makú-Nadëb is spoken by approximately 370 speakers out of 850 ethnic population in Amazonas state: 3 locations on Uneiuxi river: a tributary of Negro river, Japurá and Negro rivers, Brazil.

Nadëb or Makú-Nadëb (all other names that sometimes appear

in publications as alternate names are really based on misunderstandings and lack

of knowledge of the language, such as 'Kabori' which simply means "orphan" –probably the answer to "what/who are you?"; or "Anonadëb" which most likely

comes from a phrase which means "we (excl.) say, 'nadëb'" – probably also the misunderstood answer to a question by a researcher, so I would advise to leave them out).  The numeral system once went from 1 till 20, but not beyond that. Only the numerals from 1 to 5 and the number 10 are still widely used. All others have been replaced by numerals from the national language. As in many small and "simple" societies numerals don't appear to have been important, and as you can see they are rather complicated. Often the Nadëb will show a certain number of fingers and just

say da hɛ̃ "this many" instead of using the descriptive phrase that would go with

that particular numeral. More important were and still are quantifiers (not exact numbers), such as:

po'wɔp hɛ̃ "a few/some". ha'jɔ̃ŋ "many" (non- human), ha'jok̚ "many" (human)

ta'tɯ^bm "a few that can be found once in a while" (like a certain type of tree or fish) and its antonym kaneka^dn  to name just a few.

Introduction of mathematics has created a bigger need for numerals than was

normally the case, and this need has mostly been filled in by the Portuguese number system.

NOTES:

1. The symbol ' indicates stress. Since all of the numerals are actual noun phrases,
    the stress indicates stress at the phrase level.

2. Oral vowels influence the following nasal, obligating it to become pre-stopped.

    This is indicated in the chart above with the corresponding raised (superscript)

    stop. The only ones that are relevant in the numeral phrases above are "b" before

    m (^bm), and "ɡ" before ŋ (^ɡŋ). In the orthography we do not write pre-stopping

    of nasals that follow oral vowels since we can apply a rule.

3.  The consonants that are followed by a raised (superscript) glottal are what has

     been analyzed as "post-glottalised plosives" – that is t^? and g^?. In fast speech t^?

      is almost undistinguishable from the double articulation t͡ʃ and the ɡ^? is almost

     undistinguishable from the velar ejective kʼ.

4.  j = palatal approximant.

5.  w = voiced labial-velar approximant.