308* 



THE SERI INDIANS 



[ETH. ANN. 17 



form, are of no avail to prove relationship. The availaWe material pertaining to 

 this sroup supplies but scant data for ascertaining the derivation of the Yuman 

 digit. But, in addition to the connection of the Laymou yowac, with kawum, "the 

 other", it may be that it is permissible to compare here owe! (2), "that" in Tonto, 

 the Mohave /iiira'-H I/O (6), "he, that", the Hummockhave hoiva-itmeeme (8), "he", and 

 hoivai («), " that ", the Mohave kuva-tce(9), "he", the Kutchan habii-ilsk (12), "he", 

 the Kiliwi liapa (23), "he", and other terms, which suggest its origin. From the 

 foregoing explanations, there appears to be no lexic relationship between the Serian 

 and the Yuman digits denoting " two ". 



Serian 



A. phaum,^/i((- 



B. phraom, phra- or^)/i^o- 

 ^, I P'^r'ao, 2>'xa- 



' lkai)x'a, kapx- 

 D. kupjtku, kupx- 



Yuman 



The Serian forms of thename for the digit " three" are evidently derivatives from 

 a single term. This vocable appears to be emahk, "one-half" (McGee), found also 

 in the name for the middle finger as given by both Professor McGee and M Pinart, 

 the former writing uniiUe-miVka'p, and the latter inol'l'emakkap, "middle finger". 

 In the Iroquoian languages also, "three" is etymologically "the middle one", i.e., 

 the middle linger, a signification arising from the primitive method of nsing the 

 fingers as counters in numeration. The middle finger is the third one counting from 



