As a matter of fact, most races
count as high as 10; but to this statement the exceptions are so numerous
that they deserve examination in some detail. In certain parts of the
world, notably among the native races of South America, Australia, and many
of the islands of Polynesia and Melanesia, a surprising paucity of numeral
words has been observed. The Encabellada of the Rio Napo have but two
distinct numerals; _tey_, 1, and _cayapa_, 2.[20] The Chaco languages[21]
of the Guaycuru stock are also notably poor in this respect. In the Mbocobi
dialect of this language the only native numerals are _yna tvak_, 1, and
_yfioaca_, 2. The Puris[22] count _omi_, 1, _curiri_, 2, _prica_, many; and
the Botocudos[23] _mokenam_, 1, _uruhu_, many. The Fuegans,[24] supposed to
have been able at one time to count to 10, have but three
numerals,--_kaoueli_, 1, _compaipi_, 2, _maten_, 3. The Campas of Peru[25]
possess only three separate words for the expression of number,--_patrio_,
1, _pitteni_, 2, _mahuani_, 3. Above 3 they proceed by combinations, as 1
and 3 for 4, 1 and 1 and 3 for 5. Counting above 10 is, however, entirely
inconceivable to them, and any number beyond that limit they indicate by
_tohaine_, many. The Conibos,[26] of the same region, had, before their
contact with the Spanish, only _atchoupre_, 1, and _rrabui_, 2; though they
made some slight progress above 2 by means of reduplication. The Orejones,
one of the low, degraded tribes of the Upper Amazon,[27] have no names for
number except _nayhay_, 1, _nenacome_, 2, _feninichacome_, 3,
_ononoeomere_, 4.
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