626 Transactions. 



a peculiarly capricious estimate of the whole subject. He has, in short, 

 so clouded the outlook of otherwise clear premises that, in the name and 

 interests of truth, I venture this protest. 



In the course of submitting the following numerical tables illustrative 

 of the original system of Maori numeration, I propose to demonstrate that 

 Mr. Best's observations on (a) the numeral prefix are entirely inadequate, 

 and that those on (6) the term ngahuru and (c) the term tekau require con- 

 siderable modification, 



(a.) The Numeral Prefix. 



Mr. Best states, " To the above terms [tahi, rua, toni, &c.] various pre- 

 fixes are applied. When using any of these expressions for numbers in 

 conversation, or when enumerating articles, the term ko is prefixed to the 

 first, which thus becomes kotahi. From two to nine inclusive the prefix 

 is e. To ngahuru no prefix is applied as a cardinal, but as an ordinal lua 

 is so employed : tua-ngahuru = tenth. Tekau, the modern term for ten, never 

 bears a prefix, the ordinal being expressed by the use of the definite article : 

 te tekau = the tenth. Thus we have the cardinal numbers as follows : — 



"Ko-tahi = one 



E-riia = two 



E-toru = three • 



E-wha = four 



E-rima = five Ngahuru, or tekau = ten 



as used in Maori. These terms are often used when counting. But an 

 ancient and more coiTect style of actual enumeration is by prefixing ka to 

 the numerals. Probably, however, ka is not a true prefix in this case : 

 for my own part, I do not so regard it," &c. 



That extract in itself justifies my statement that the writer held a 

 very capricious estimate of the special knowledge peculiarly required in 

 this particular matter. In the first place, kotahi means single and alone 

 rather than one of a series — as, one, two, three. We may speak of kotahi, 

 a single one ; of kotahi tekau, a single ten ; of kotahi rau, a single hundred ; 

 and of kotahi mano, a single thousand : but not of kotahi as a first one, as a 

 precursor to some following number. For that very reason, kotahi is not 

 used by competent speakers where such a thing as progressive numeration 

 follows. The prefix e of his example is derived, as I shall presently show, 

 from a different source altogether. The numeral prefix e, which speaks in 

 the plural sense, is derived from he, which speaks in the singular sense. 

 Thus : He-tahi, e-rua, e-toru, and so on. Ka, too, as we shall presently see, 

 is an undoubtedly proper and true numeral prefix. As to nmneral prefixes 

 not applying to the terms ngahuru and tekau, I will presently show that 

 most, if not all, numeral prefixes do properly so apply. 



But first I would submit that the Maori language is a scientific language 

 — that it is not a fabric of merely adventitious texture. By way of illus- 

 trating this, let us for a moment consider such well-known terms as arero, 

 reo, korero = the tongue, the voice, to speak. To the Maori ear a relation- 

 ship is set up of these terms by the similitude of sounds and letters. This 

 similitude, I submit, is intentional. Moreover, it is an indisputable fact 

 that the Maori has given a different name to every species of bird, fish, 

 tree, shrub, plant, weed, stone, cloud-formation, colour and tint, cardinal 

 and intermediate wind-point — in short, to the sum total of visible pheno- 

 mena as known to him — without either repetition or confusion. In the 

 same sense, the various stages of a progressive action, from simple to 



