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Single Idea 21646

[from 'Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics' by Thomas Hofweber, in 6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / a. Numbers ]

Full Idea

The now famous Piraha language, of the Amazon region in Brazil, allegedly has no number words.

Gist of Idea

The Amazonian Piraha language is said to have no number words

Source

Thomas Hofweber (Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics [2016], 05.6)

Book Reference

Hofweber,Thomas: 'Ontology and the Ambitions of Metaphysics' [OUP 2018], p.149


A Reaction

Two groups can be shown to be of equal cardinality, by one-to-one matching rather than by counting. They could get by using 'equals' (and maybe unequally bigger and unequally smaller), and intuitive feelings for sizes of groups.