Page:An Ainu-English-Japanese dictionary (including a grammar of the Ainu language).djvu/568

10 thus:—“I am seven years plus ten years, from two score years (!).” Not only is the method of combining different numerals totally unlike in the two languages. The manner in which the elemenatryelementary [sic] numerals up to “ten” were originally formed, is also quite dissimilar. In Japanese, as in some other languages of the North-east of Asia, the even numerals seem to have been obtained by altering the vowel of the odd numerals of which they are the doubles; thus:—

In Ainu, on the other hand, the first four numerals (1),  (2),  (3),  (4) seem independent. (5) is possibly “new four”. The next four numerals are obtained by a process of subtraction from the higher number “ten” Compare:—

, “four,” with , “six” (i.e. four from ten),

, “three,” with , “seven” (i.e. three from ten),

, “two,” with , “eight” (i.e. two from ten),

, “one,” with , “nine” (i.e. one from ten),

, “ten.”

There might be room for doubt as to the derivation of, “six,” and , “seven,” did they stand alone. Indeed, doubt is still permissible on their score. But is unquestionably “two  things  come down  [from ten]”; and  is as evidently “one thing come down [from ten].”

 § III. WORD BUILDING.

Besides the dissimilarities in Grammar as set forth in the preceding paragraph, there are also other important differences