INLAND TRIBES COAST TRIBES

10.  teya.                           10.  sham.
20.  heng-inai.                      20.  heang-inai.
30.  heng-inai-tain                  30.  heang-inai-tanai
= 20 + 5 (couples).                  = 20 + 5 (couples).
40.  au-inai   = 2 x 20.             40.  an-inai    = 2 x 20.
100.  tain-inai = 5 x 20.            100.  tanai-inai = 5 x 20.
200.  teya-inai = 10 x 20.           200.  sham-inai  = 10 x 20.
300.  teya-tain-inai                 300.  heang-tanai-inai
= (10 + 5) x 20.                     = (10 + 5) 20.
400.  heng-teo.                      400.  heang-momchiama.

In no other part of the world is vigesimal counting found so perfectly developed, and, among native races, so generally preferred, as in North and South America.  In the eastern portions of North America and in the extreme western portions of South America the decimal or the quinary decimal scale is in general use.  But in the northern regions of North America, in western Canada and northwestern United States, in Mexico and Central America, and in the northern and western parts of South America, the unit of counting among the great majority of the native races was 20.  The ethnological affinities of these races are not yet definitely ascertained; and it is no part of the scope of this work to enter into any discussion of that involved question.  But either through contact or affinity, this form of numeration spread in prehistoric times over half or more than half of the western hemisphere.  It was the method employed by the rude Eskimos of the north and their equally rude kinsmen of Paraguay and eastern Brazil; by the forest Indians of Oregon and British Columbia, and by their more southern kinsmen, the wild tribes of the Rio Grande and of the Orinoco.  And, most striking and interesting of all, it was the method upon which were based the numeral systems of the highly civilized races of Mexico, Yucatan, and New Granada.  Some of the systems obtained from the languages of these peoples are perfect, extended examples of vigesimal counting, not to be duplicated in any other quarter of the globe.  The ordinary unit was, as would be expected, “one man,” and in numerous languages the words for 20 and man are identical.  But in other cases the original meaning of that numeral word has been lost; and in others still it has a signification quite remote from that given above.  These meanings will be noticed in connection with the scales themselves, which are given, roughly speaking, in their geographical order, beginning with the Eskimo of the far north.  The systems of some of the tribes are as follows: 

  ALASKAN ESKIMOS.[357]

    10. koleet.
    20. enuenok.
    30. enuenok kolinik = 20 + 10.
    40. malho kepe ak = 2 x 20.
    50. malho-kepe ak-kolmik che pah ak to = 2 x 20 + 10.
    60. pingi shu-kepe ak = 3 x 20.
   100. tale ma-kepe ak = 5 x 20.
   400. enue nok ke pe ak = 20 x 20.