On numeral complexity in hunter-gatherer languages

Abstract

Numerals vary extensively across the world's languages, ranging from no precise numeral terms to practically infinite limits. Particularly of interest is the category of "small" or low-limit numeral systems; these are often associated with hunter-gatherer groups, but this connection has not yet been demonstrated by a systematic study. Here we present the results of a wide-scale survey of hunter-gatherer numerals. We compare these to agriculturalist languages in the same regions, and consider them against the broader typological backdrop of contemporary numeral systems in the world's languages. We find that correlations with subsistence pattern are relatively weak, but that numeral trends are clearly areal.

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