Documentation of Numeral Systems

Presented by Kumari Mamta at the Language Documentation and Archiving Conference, Berlin & Online, 4-6 Sept, 2024 In the current globalising world, the maintenance of numeral systems that are typologically unusual has been profoundly jeopardised. The homogenisation of numeral systems by a variety of social, economic, and education–related processes obscure the diversity of these systems and it may also lead to erroneous conclusions in regards to the diversity of human conceptualisations of mathematics. This paper discusses few rare numeral systems with primary focus on South-Asian Languages like Ao, Lotha, Khoibu, Palula, Luro and many more. The paper also provides a global overview of numeral systems. In particular, I discuss the rare phenomenaon of“overcounting” that is rapidly vanishing. Because borrowing triggers the change very fast,it is necessary to study sociolinguistic factors too. This paper also discusses the type of questionnaire that should be involved while studying any numeral systems to correctly identify and document the structure of them. Proper documentation of numeral systems is urgently needed as Comrie (2005) says that, “Numeral systems are even more endangered than languages”. I will introduce the “Numeralbank” database and repository on numeral systems in the world’s languages, and also SAND (South Asian Numeral Database) which I am developing keeping in mind the urgency of it. Diversity of mathematical conceptualizations is severely under threat, particularly because the dominant (*often decimal) numeral systems are encouraged by education systems, language contact and dominance. Furthermore, rare systems are viewed as a deterrent to socio– economic development. Most South Asian languages evidence a shift towards the decimal system by borrowing either the lexicon or structure of the dominant language of the particular region. A discontinuity with the past and the gradual erosion of folk knowledge has also triggered the endangerment. References Abbi, Anvita & Vysakh R.(2020). Aspects of Word Formation Processes in Luro: The endangered language of the Nicobar Islands. Asian Languages and Linguistics 1, No.1: 9-33 Chan, Eugene. (2015). Numeral systems of the world languages. Retrieved from https://mpilingweb.shh.mpg.de/numeral/ Comrie, Bernard.(2005). Endangered numeral systems. In Bedrohte vielfalt: Aspekte des sprach (en) tods (pp. 203-230). Weißensee-Verl.