lOO OCCASIONAL NOTES. 



probably survives in ampat 2.x\Aa-nam. In some languages a 

 second article has even been added when the first has become 

 incorporated in the numerals. 



Dr. DE Tavera also draws attention to the quinary system 

 upon which the original numbers w^ere based doubtless owing to 

 the convenience of using the hand in enumeration. The word 

 lifna ox rima still means '^hand'^ in many of the dialects 

 of Formosa, the Malay Archipelago and Polynesia. The 

 inhabitants of 1 riton Bay in New Guinea, of Santo, Efate and 

 Ambrym in the Nev>^ Hebrides, of the Island of Engano near 

 Sumatra, and some of the wild tribes of Formosa still use 

 quinary systems. The Malay delapan (8), derived by RiGG 

 from dua-lepan (two turned down), takes us back also to a 

 time when the fingers were used in counting. Sa-lepan, Sem- 

 bilan (sa-ambilan), and the Achinese Sa-kurang (9) are all 

 extensions of the same idea. 



The etymologies suggested by Dr. DE Tavera for the 

 Philippine (and Oceanic) numerals are as follows : — 



Lua, dua, or rua (2) from a root signifying a double or copy, 



as in the Philippine ka-lu-lua, a ghost. 

 Telo, tolu, torn (3) from a root signifying triple connected 



wilh tali ^ rope (triple strand). 

 Pat, fa, ha (4) from a Polynesian root signifying " a com- 

 plete set," " a company." The Javanese sa-kawan, 

 Hawaii sa-kaima, has these meanings. 

 These were the oldest numerals. For higher quantities the 

 hand was used in enumeration. 

 Lima, rima (5) the hand. 

 A-nav/i, ono, ne (6). The root appears to be ne, but 



the meaning cannot be traced. 

 Pitid, hitii, titii ij) from an old Polynesian root fia, 

 "three," and the root tu "to shorten" [tua, to 

 shorten, Tahiti). 

 Walo, varo (8) from the Polynesian 2£'^ ^' a space," and 



rua or lua ''two" ; two spaces, i.e., dua-lepan. 

 Siam, siwa, iwa (a), the "s" and '^ m " being accretions, 



from wa "a space," and the article " i." 

 Pulo, fulu, hulu (10) from a root meaning totality [pulus,- 

 ail, Tagal.) 



