Different forms of “counting”, and numbers in particular, have evolved over time and across cultures. Today we are going to look at the way of naming the numbers by the tamaníes (indigenous from the Orinoco River area in Venezuela):
- From 1 to 4 the origin/translation of these terms is unknown.
- 5, could be translated as "hand"
- 6, the expression "one of the other hand"
- 7, for “two from the other hand”…
- 10, the expression “both hands”
- 11, for "one of the foot"
- 12, for “two of the foot”…
- 15, for "a whole foot"
- 16, for "one of the other foot"
- 17, for “two from the other foot”…
- 20, for "an Indian" (tevin itóto)
- 21, for "one of the hands of another Indian"...
Another people who use hands and feet ("digital numbers") as references are the natives of Greenland. For example, his number 53 would be represented by “three toes of the first foot of the third man «.
Of course, those who devised this digital numbering did not work in a sawmill (sorry for this easy joke).
Source:Fun and Curious Mathematics – Malba Tahan