Best. — Maori Numcratton. 161 



vocabulary published by the Polynesian Society, neither does 

 te ; Icait is given as meaning " company, troop." Kau is pro- 

 bably the root of the word, te being the definite article. 



Since writing the above I have unearthed a long-buried 

 copy of Maunsell's Maori Grammar, 3rd edition, 1882. I 

 quote a few remarks therefrom to show how numeration 

 differed in some districts, the result, perhaps, of tribal isola- 

 tion. He explains the modern method- of numeration by 

 multiples of ten, but states in a note that " It should be here 

 noticed that this is the new mode of reckoning brought in by 

 Europeans, and now fast spreading over the land. The old 

 mode is not so convenient, but it is often heard; 240 would, 

 according to it, be thus expressed : kotahi rem ma riia — 

 literally, one hundred and two. Rua here stands for (twice 

 ten) twenty doubled. 250 would run thus : kotahi rau, ma 

 rua pu, tautalii — one hundred and two double, and a 

 tautahi (odd one)." Now, the above was the method of 

 counting in the Waikato district. Observe that it was the 

 dual system, couples or pairs being always implied, while 

 ma rua, "and two," is made to serve for "and twenty" 

 (couples understood). In the second illustration he gives the 

 term pu, signifying "pairs," or " twice told," or " doubled" 

 — thus, one hundred, and two pairs (for twenty doubled) ; this 

 " two pairs," or "two doubled," being perhaps an abbrevia- 

 tion, though noticeable all over the Island. The term tautahi 

 is used in a similar manner among Tuhoe. It is usually 

 applied to a single odd number — e.g., e ivaru pu, tautahi, 

 for eight brace (or couples) and an odd one = seventeen. In 

 Maunsell's example, however, it stands for ten, or an odd ten. 



Maunsell, in giving the modern system, stated that Jtokorua 

 is used for twenty, but explains m a note, " The Maori mode 

 of counting has always heretofore been by pairs : thus hoko- 

 rua, twenty, stands for twenty pair — i.e., forty — and so on. 

 When they wish it to be understood singly they postfix taki- 

 takito the numeral adjective — i.e., hokorua takitaki = twenty." 

 This takitaki may be a misprint for takitahi, the term in 

 general use to denote " singly," or " by ones." Here we have 

 evidence that hokorua, hokotoru, &c., really mean twenty, 

 thirty, &c., but that the term tojm ov pu (pairs) is understood, 

 unless the expression takitahi be added, in which case hearers 

 understand that counting singly is meant. Thus evidence 

 accumulates to show that Maori numeration was dual in its 

 character, and that the term topib (or pu) was by no means 

 always used when employing that system, but was understood 

 to be implied ; also, that it was necessary to use the term 

 takitahi to show that single numeration was meant. 



Maunsell goes on to say that among the Ngapuhi Tribe 

 6 — Trans. 



