Language
name and location: Pondi, Papua New Guinea
[Refer to
Ethnologue] |
1. kwandap |
21. ipa nanŋɡe kwandap matpe |
2. inin |
22. ipa nanŋɡe inin matpe |
3. jau̯le |
23. ipa nanŋɡe jau̯le matpe |
4. nanŋɡe |
24. ipa nanŋɡe nanŋɡe matpe |
5. ipakwandap |
|
6. kwandap matpe (1+5) |
|
7. inin matpe (2+5) |
|
8. jau̯le matpe (3+5) |
|
9. nanŋɡe matpe (4+5) |
|
10. ipa inin |
|
11. ipa inin kwandap matpe |
|
12. ipa inin inin matpe |
|
13. ipa inin jau̯le matpe |
|
14. ipa inin nanŋɡe matpe |
|
15. ipa jau̯le |
|
16. ipa jau̯le kwandap matpe |
|
17. ipa jau̯le inin matpe |
|
18. ipa jau̯le jau̯le matpe |
|
19. ipa jau̯le nanŋɡe matpe |
|
20. ipa nanŋɡe |
Linguist providing
data and dateː Dr. Russell Barlow,
Department of Linguistics,
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii |
Other comments: Langam or Pondi makes use of a quinary numeral system. The word for ‘five’ (ipakwandap) is a compound consisting of ipa ‘hand’ and kwandap ‘one’ (literally, ‘one hand’), reflecting the system of hand-counting that underlies the quinary numerical system The numbers six through nine contain the verbal element matpe, which denotes that a given number has been added (to the number five; the word ipakwandap is probably elided). The number ten is of the form ‘five (times) two’; the number fifteen is of the form ‘five (times) three’; and the number twenty is of the form ‘five (times) four’. It is unknown how numbers larger than twenty-four are formed (if they are ever formed at all). Pondi, identified as “Langam” is a moribund language with about 300 population spoken at Langam village in Angoram District, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. |
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