Austroasiatic Numerals

Another interesting problem for Austroasiatic reconstruction that that of the numerals. This issue has attracted some attention (Diffloth & Zide (eds) 1976, Zide 1978, Sidwell 1999) although it awaits a thorough analysis. It is clear that despite the widespread use of decimal counting across the phylum, reconstruction of proto-forms for numerals 1-10 is very problematic. Scholars such as Thomas (1976) have suggested that the proto-language only supported counting with numerals up to 4 or 5.

The data below was presented and discussed at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, June 1st, 2012, Argay, France. the coloured shading is supposed to suggest common roots within columns, but whether these support proto-Austroasitic reconstructions is another matter. Presently I interpret the confusion of forms above 4 as consistent with various local shifts to decimal counting during and after the late Neolithic transition to cereal agriculture in Mainland Southeast Asia.