MAN NUMBERS COUNTING MEASURE MEASUREMENT
see also Linguistic Origins of Numbers and Counting

Worldwide Connections in terms for Measure
Terms for measure show worldwide connections. For example, as found in Dominic Olivastro, Ancient Puzzles, the Bakairi in central Brazil say MERA for "many".
In Indo-European we find German MEHR, English MORE and Latvian MER- "to measure" whence Pharaonic MERKHET "measuring instrument" and Latvian MERKET "aim".

Two Major Ancient Number Systems

There were TWO major number systems in ancient times. We had the decimal system and the dozen system. One group originally counted to FIVE, starting with the thumb (or little finger) and using all the fingers of the hand, whereas the other group initially counted only to THREE, starting with the index finger and not using the thumb). The little finger then meant ALL or MANY. These systems were then combined into the sexagesimal system (5 x12 = 60) as in Sumer and Babylon.

Ancient Number Systems Still Exist

These two number systems still exist in modern times as the competing metric and inches-and-feet systems. Horses in Great Britain , for example, are still measured by four-finger hands, so and so many hands high to the shoulders. Three four-finger hands, placed alongside, were a foot, three feet heel to toe were a yard, and so on. Man was his own measure. But there were TWO systems. A meter in turn was a grown man's step, equivalent to one turn of the plow (later the distance between plowed rows = Latvian MET-.)

The Cardinal Numbers in Indo-European



We see evidence of the two systems above. There is a break at FOUR in English. Similarly VIER in German equals FOUR and VIEL in German equals MANY (compare FULL) which is the same as Latvian VAIRums "many" but in the sense of "growth" or "increase" or "filling", not merely "counting". Words of the type QUATTRO find their comparable in Latvian KATRI(S) "each, every, all", and CHETRI "four", originally perhaps Latvian IKI "each" plus TRIS "three plus one, hand" whence Latvian KETNA "paw" and English COUNT and HAND.

Index Finger and Thumb

The dozen counters did not use the thumb in counting but started out with the index FINGER which is at the ancient root of human counting for the concept "one". The thumb was not seen as one of the fingers as such, but was the thumb. Of course, that must have been a very long time ago. In the meantime, the West Europeans then added the concept of FIVE, German FÜNF, similar to PENTA-, as in Latvian PIECI, seemingly derived from VISI = ALL the fingers. The higher numbers were "many, much", until one learned to count beyond 3 or 5.

Our "ten" is Germanic "zehn" which is seemingly German "Zehen" ("toes", i.e. "tens"). With time, "fives" and "tens" were marked, notched off on wood and stones were set or placed down or marked (e.g. the tokens of Schmandt-Besserat).The "dozen" system advanced to three hands for a foot and three feet to a yard, etc.

Counting, Personal Pronouns, Zuni, Baltic

We see an ancient comparison when we compare Zuni and Baltic counting systems. The cardinal numbers in Indo-European in the chart higher up on this page indicate that they derive primarily from the personal pronouns (he, she, they). The personal pronouns themselves derive from original words or sounds which defined space relations apart from the observer (i.e. here, there, nearby). Put more simply, man probably pointed the index finger in a given direction at someone or somewhere in ancient times and uttered a sound to accompany this pointing.

Latvian Personal Pronouns compared to English

Compare the pronouns in the very ancient Latvian language with modern English: Latvian TU Modern English YOU (one you)
Old English THOU Latvian TA "She" TIE "They"
English THAT Latvian TADs
English THEY Latvian TIE
English YOUs Latvian JUS

The Pharaonic Egyptian Cubit or "Ruler"
To "rule" was "to rule" - the measurers were the kings



A Chart of the Suggested Original
Two Systems of Linear Measure



see also Linguistic Origins of Numbers and Counting