_Serian_
A. pháum, _phá-_
B. phraom, _phra-_ or _phχa-_
C. _p´χ´ao_, _p´χa-_, kapχ´a, _kapχ-_
D. kupjtku, _kupχ-_
_Yuman_
IV. cambiec, combiec
II. combió
III. combió
I. kabiak
IV. {kambiec, kamioec, kombiec} (Laymon)
23. ẖamiak
4. hamóck
24. hamock
15. hamôk
6. hamok
25. hamō´k
26. hamō´k
10. hamok
7. hamoka
9. hamóka
3. hamoke
12. hamóok
21. hamúka
22. hamúke
18. hěmúki
14. hamok
17. ẖomook
8. homuck
16. hummoke
1. humuga
20. jamóc (j as in Spanish)
5. χamú´k
11. (ha)moga
2. moke
19. móki
13. mook
The Serian forms of the name for the digit “three” are evidently
derivatives from a single term. This vocable appears to be _emahk_,
“one-half” (McGee), found also in the name for the middle finger
as given by both Professor McGee and M Pinart, the former writing
_ŭnulte-mŭ´ka`p_, and the latter _inol´l´emakkap_, “middle finger”. In
the Iroquoian languages also, “three” is etymologically “the middle
one”, i. e., the middle finger, a signification arising from the
primitive method of using the fingers as counters in numeration. The
middle finger is the third one counting from either side of the hand.
The form _kapχ´a_ (C) of M Pinart apparently retains almost unchanged
its primitive phonetic outline.
The Yuman list of the dialectic forms of the digit “three” is full
and is evidently composed of derivatives from a single source. This
parent stem seems to be the attributive _hami_, “tall, long”, of the
Mohave vocabulary. The form _hamiak_ signifies “it is long, tall”, and
is an appropriate name for the middle finger of the hand. The Kiliwee
_ẖamiak_, “three”, still preserves unchanged the phonetic integrity of
its component elements. These etymologies fail to develop any lexic
relationship between the Serian and the Yuman terms.