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

语言名称和分布地区: 托博语, 巴布亚新几内亚莫罗贝省

1. mok, moᵘk, mən, wɑn

2. 'yəɣət, tu

3. 'qɑɾəβət, tri

4. 'kembem kpə'ɣɑp, fo

5. mə'ɾɑmən (litː ''one hand''), fɑⁱf 

6. mə'ɾɑmən 'nəβək 'inmɑ mok [''one hand going to the other side one (finger)''], siks

7. mə'ɾɑmən 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'yəɣət, seβen

8. mə'ɾɑmən 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'qɑɾəβət, ɑⁱt

9. mə'ɾɑmən 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'kembem kpə'ɣɑp, nɑⁱn

10. məɾɑ'yəɣət (litː ''two hands''), ten

11. məɾɑ'yəɣət 'qənu 'memɑ 'mok, e'leβen

12. məɾɑ'yəɣət 'qənu 'memɑ 'yəɣət, twolf

13. məɾɑ'yəɣət 'qənu 'memɑ 'qɑɾəβət, tertin

14. məɾɑ'yəɣət 'qənu 'memɑ 'kembem kpə'ɣɑp, 'fotin

15. məɾɑ'yəɣət 'qənu 'memɑ mə'ɾɑmən, 'fiftin

16. 'qənu 'memɑ 'nəβək 'inmɑ mok, 'sikstin

17. 'qənu 'memɑ 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'yəɣət, 'seβentin

18. 'qənu 'memɑ 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'qɑɾəβət, 'ɑⁱtin

19. 'qənu 'memɑ 'nəβək 'inmɑ 'kembem kpə'ɣɑp, 'nɑⁱtin

20. 'qənɑməɾɑ (litː ''foots and hands all'), ip mən (litː ''man one''), 'twenti

Linguist providing data and dateː Mr. Chad Mankins, NTM (New Tribes Mission), Papua New Guinea. September 27, 2011.

提供资料的语言学家: Mr. Chad Mankins, 2011 年 9 月 27 日.

Other comments: Tobo is spoken by approximately 3,000 speakers in upper Kuat river valley, Morobe province, Papua New Guinea. The Tobo counting system is a digit-tally one with at least three distinct numerals, but 4, which as a numeral is uncertain. Now, the traditional terms for 1 through 5 are very commonly used across the board demographically, but we have observed the usage of the transliterated terms among schoolchildren, who are being influenced by Melanesian Pidgin/English. The traditional terms for 6 through 10 are observed in use more among the teens and adults, and this use may be diminishing among the younger generation. The traditional terms for 11 and above are rarely observed in everyday language, though most adults are familiar with them. As must be common in many languages, the literal gloss for mə'ɾɑmən (five) is “one hand” and məɾɑ'yəɣət (ten) is literally “two hands”. Also note that mə'ɾɑmən 'nəβək 'inmɑ mok (six) is literally ''one hand going to the other side one (finger)'', and that the pattern continues to “two hands” (ten) and from there, you go down to the foot and one, etc. up to “one man (twenty)” (assuming that one man encompasses all 20 of a person’s digits). Other higher numbers borrowed from Pidgin English. areː 21. 'twenti wɑn', 29. twenti nɑⁱn, 30. 'terti, 40. 'foti or ip 'yəɣət, 50. 'fifti, 60. siksti or ip 'qɑɾəβət, 70. 'seβenti, 80. 'ɑⁱti or ip 'kembem kpə'ɣɑp, 90. 'nɑⁱnti, 100. 'hɑndɾet, or 'wɑn 'hɑndɾet, 200. 'tu 'hɑndɾet, 1000. wɑn 'tɑusen, 2000. 'tu 'tɑusen.