View sign 'counting'

counting

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Description

The system of counting is universally used by our Indians in enumeration. In counting from one to ten, the usual way is to hold the closed right hand in front, the back towards and about height of shoulder, edges of hand pointing up; for one, the little finger is extended; two, the third; three, second; four, index; five, thumb; keeping fingers extended, separated, and pointing upwards; six, bring the closed left hand at same height, equally advanced, and near right, and extend the thumb; seven, extend left index; eight, second finger; nine, third; ten, little finger.

For twenty, the closed hands are brought in above-described position and the fingers and thumbs extended and separated twice; for twenty-five, the above for twenty, and then the left hand is dropped and the right curved little more to center of body, and the fingers and thumb extended and separated; for thirty, the hands are usually opened three times; but above this number an arbitrary sign is usually made by the best informed sign-talkers, viz., the right hand is brought in front of right shoulder, fingers extended, separated, and pointing upwards, thumb closed, palm of hand outwards, still keeping fingers extended and palm to front; the hand is moved to the left and downwards, tips of fingers describing a vertical curve.

Some tribes indicate a number of tens by first making the sign for ten, then hold extended left hand horizontally in front of body, fingers separated and pointing to front and slightly to right, and draw the tip of extended right index from base over the back of each finger to its tip, each motion of this kind representing ten and going as far as fifty; then holding the right hand in similar manner, mark the backs of its thumb and fingers with tip of left index to indicate from sixty to one hundred.

Hundreds are expressed as ten tens by many tribes, but the Arapahoes, Cheyennes, Teton Sioux, and some others usually bring the hands, palms out, in front of right shoulder, fingers and thumbs extended, separated, and pointing upwards, hands in same vertical plane, tips of thumbs touching; move the hands well out to left and downwards on vertical curve, keeping in same vertical plane.

A number of hundreds are counted on backs of hands same as in counting tens, first indicating that you are now dealing with hundreds.


Synonyms: eight, five, four, hundred, nine, number, one, seven, six, ten, three, two

Notes

Clark notes that in numeration, i.e., numbering or counting in a limited way, --where there is doubt, such as the number of camps made on a journey, number of people killed in a fight, the left hand is held back down, fingers extended and pointing to front, in front of body; then, with tip of extended right index, other fingers and thumb closed, back of right hand up, the little finger of left is pressed back or closed, and frequently held down during the discussion, then the third finger, and so on. After five, the right hand is held back down, with the little finger closed, with index or thumb of left hand for six, and so on, the final result being usually announced in the first described way for counting. The majority of Indians have no clear conception of any number beyond a thousand, and many not beyond two or three hundred.