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

语言名称和分布地区: 萨卡姆语 (库通语Kutong), 巴布亚新几内亚莫罗贝省

1. kuwe

21. daːŋɡaːn kuwe

2. daːŋɡaːn

22. daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn

3. kalpu

23. daːŋɡaːn kalpu

4. daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn (2+1)

24. daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn

5. kaːlbwe kuwe kundup

25. daːŋɡaːn kaːlbwe kuwe kundup

6. kim bilaːm

26. daːŋɡaːn kim bilaːm

7. ɲoŋ

27. daːŋɡaːn ɲoŋ

8. biŋ

28. daːŋɡaːn biŋ

9. tukaːp kaːluk

29. daːŋɡaːn tukaːp kaːluk

10. kuwe mim

30. kalpu mim

11. kuwe kuwe

40. daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn mim  

12. kuwe daːŋɡaːn

50. kaːlbwe kuwe kundup mim

13. kuwe kalpu

60. kim bilaːm mim

14. kuwe daːŋɡaːn daːŋɡaːn

70. ɲoŋ mim

15. kuwe kaːlbwe kuwe kundup

80. biŋ mim

16. kuwe kim bilaːm

90. tukaːp kaːluk mim

17. kuwe ɲoŋ

100. kuwe mim mim 

18. kuwe biŋ

200.  daːŋɡaːn mim mim

19. kuwe tukaːp kaːluk

1000. kuwe mim mim mim

20. daːŋɡaːn mim

2000. daːŋɡaːn mim mim mim

Other comments: The Sakam or Dinangat (actually the area is called Dinangat, Sakam is only one small village in the Dinangat Language group) has a very unusual system, but their number system has changed in the past year. In the culture of their ancestors they did not count past 5. They could do up to 10 using all their fingers but they never really did that. After five they just said, “many” But this year the elementary school teacher decided to make up numbers that were more official. So for 6 through 9 they use shapes that look like those numbers. For example the tail of a tree kangaroo looks like a 6. A traditional ax looks like a 7. A drum looks like a 8, and a type of eatable grass looks like a 9. Then for the rest of the numbers they just put the smaller numbers together. For example, the number ten is “one zero.” Eleven is “one one.” Twelve is “one two,” etc. But in reality they just use the national language (Melanesian Pidgin) for any numbers higher than 5.

Language name and location: Sakam, Papua New Guinea [Refer toː Ethnologue]

语言名称和分布地区: 萨卡姆语, 巴布亚新几内亚莫罗贝省

1. kuwaran

2. danggan 

3. kailpu  

4. danggan danggan 

5. kaibue kuwoku (litː 'hand side')

6. paijang kuwe (litː 'other side one')

7. paijang danggan

8. paijang kailpu

9. paijang dangan dangan

10. kaibukuo kumen kaibukuo kumen  (litː 'hand hand')

11. tailma kuwe  (litː 'nose one')

12. tailma dangge (litː 'nose two')

13. koljang kuwoku kuwe

14. koljang kuwoku danggan

15. koljang kuwoku kailpu

16. koljang kuwoku danggan danggan

17. koljang kuwoku komen

22. koljang kulmen

Other comments: Sakam has a very unusual counting system which. although it is essentially a digit-tally one, incorporates the tallying of both nostrils so that 22 rather than 20 tally-points are employed. The system has a basic numeral set (1, 2, 3); 4 has  a '2+2' construction. The numbers word for 5 is 'kaibue kuwoku', i.e, 'hand side'. Tallying then proceeds onto the fingers of the other hand until 10, 'hand side hand side', is reached. At this point the fingers are clenched into a fist with the thumbs pointing upward. The left thumb is then placed on the left nostril at a tally of 11, 'tailma kuwe' meaning 'nose one'; the right thumb is placed on the right nostril at a tally of 12, 'tailma dangge', i.e. 'nose two'. Tallying then proceeds onto the toes. At 17

the toes of one foot have been tallied and we have 'koljang kuwoku komen, i.e. 'leg side finished'. One man' cycle is completed at 22 with 'koljang kumen', i.e. 'legs finished'. Except for this irregularity of tallying the nostrils at 11 and 12 which produces an over-all cycle of 22, the sub-cycles are nevertheless 2' (the modified 2-cycle) and 5. This tally system is not at all like the body-part tally systems encountered in other parts of PNG which, for example, do not employ the toes or any tally points on the lower part of the body. Nor are the nostrils tallied; the nose, however, is often tallied at the mid-point of cycle. It may be that the system is, in fact, just a modified digit-tally system which enables a tally up to 12 to be carried out without resorting to the use of toes. This may possibly arise if the tally system also functions as a calendrical device.