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

语言名称和分布地区: 内克语, 巴布亚新几内亚莫罗贝省

1. no / noŋɡɑn (litː 'other,one / only 'one')

2. tɨpet (litː 'two')

3. tɨpet ɡɨt no (litː 'two and one')

4. tɨpet (ɡɨt) tɨpet [litː 'two (and) two'] 

5. kɨt meŋ [litː 'hand mother' = (thumb)], kɨt no (litː 'hand one'), or 

    tɨpet tɨpet noŋɡɑn (litː 'two two one')

6. (kɨt) tombon noŋɡɑn [litː 'hand) another one'] 

7. (kɨt) tombon tɨpet [litː 'hand) another two'] 

8. (kɨt) tombon tɨpet ɡɨt no [litː 'hand) another two and one']

9. (kɨt) tombon tɨpet ɡɨt tɨpet [litː 'hand) another two and two'] 

10. kɨt (meŋ) tɨpet [litː 'hand (mother) two' = (two thumbs / hands)]

11. kɨt tɨpet, noŋɡɑn (litː 'hand two, one')

12. kɨt tɨpet, tɨpet

13. kɨt tɨpet, tɨpet ɡɨt no

14. kɨt tɨpet, tɨpet ɡɨt tɨpet

15. kɨt tombon tombon t'm kesit tombon ( < Geoff Smith 1984)

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Katri Linnasalo through Mr. Ray Stegeman, SIL International, Papua New Guinea. June 23, 2011.

提供资料的语言学家: Mr. Katri Linnasalo, 2011 年 6 月 23 日.

Other comments: The traditional Nek system has a basic numeral set (1, 2); 3 and 4 have the constructions '2 and 1' and '2 and 2' respectively. The numerals 5 and 10 both contain a 'hand' morpheme 'kɨt'. There is a word for 15 recorded by Geoff Smith in 1984 contain a 'leg' morpheme 'kesit' and means 'hands side hand side and leg side'. The system thus appears to be a digit-tally one with a (2, 5) cyclic pattern. However, now the Nek people rarely use vernacular numerals beyond three, since Pidgin numerals are shorter and easier to use. Also, beyond three, there is a fair bit of variation in the forms used.