Samo-PNG

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

语言名称和分布地区: 萨墨语, 巴布亚新几内亚西部省默里湖地区

1. helẽu

2. bẽau

3. behelɔ ( translated 'few' in non-numerical context )

4. bẽauili bẽauili ( also ɡoɡo, 'many)

5. debe helɔfo (litː 'hand across')

6. bẽauili bẽauili bẽauili ( binary system of counting - two plus two plus two, etc. )

10. debe helɔfo bẽau (litː 'two hands'', said with two fists put together)

20. debe helɔfo ɡoɡo ( litː 'many hands' )

Alternate Samo Counting system based on Body partsː

1. helẽu ( indicated by holding up an open left hand and pulling the little finger down

with the right hand )

2. bẽau ( pull down the next hand )

3. behelɔ ( pull down the index finger )

4. bẽauili bẽauili ( pull down fore finger with right hand )

5. debẽa ( fold down thumb to make a fist - one hand )

6. debẽa mali ( pointing to left wrist with right hand )

7. dumane ( pointing to left elbow )

8. ɔdiɔ ( pointing to left should )

9. ɡɔbɔɡibi ( pointing to base of neck )

10. duli ( pointing to left ear)

11. ɔlɔbɔ ( pointing to top / crown of head with right hand )

12. duli helɔfo ( across /other side 'OR' 'more pointing to right ear using left hand )

13. ɡɔbɔɡibi helɔfo ( pointing to right neck )

14. ɔdiɔ helɔfo ( pointing to right shoulder )

15. dumane helɔfo ( pointing to right elbow )

16. mali helɔfo ( pointing to right right )

17. logic would indicate that one now opens the right hand and closes each finger
starting with the pinky and ending with a closed fist-this would get the counter to
21. However I have never seen or recorded this -17-19 sort of drop out

20. debe helɔfo ɡoɡo ( 'hand across, many' )

Linguist providing data and dateː Dr. Dan Shaw, SIL International, Papua New Guinea, September 4, 2009.

提供资料的语言学家: Dr. Dan Shaw, 2009 年 9 月 4 日.

Other comments: Samo is spoken by about 900 speakers in Lake Murray district, Western province, Papua New Guinea. Basically the Samo do NOT have numbers, rather the numbers they use are generic and except for ‘one’ and ‘two’ can be generalized to ‘few’ and ‘many’. Hand gestures, fists in the air, folded down fingers, are all part of the communication process—see alternate system on the next page. The system is based on binary numbering and reflects relevance in a forest, semi-nomadic, swidden agriculture lifestyle. The system can theoretically be used to double the numbers to 40 by adding hɔlɔ to each number and informants indicate it happens but I have not observed it. Such a counting system is extremely cumbersome and varies with the speaker virtually eliminating numerical precision.