Saraveca language

Saraveca
Native toBolivia
RegionEastern lowlands
Extinct2nd millennium
Arawakan
Language codes
ISO 639-3sar
Glottologsara1331
ELPSaraveca

Saraveca is an extinct Arawakan language once spoken in Bolivia by the Sarave. It is said[1][2] to be the only language with a numeral system based exclusively on five, although quinary systems exist. To some extent this is also an areal feature of other South American languages; many form their numbers 6–9 as "five + one", "five + two" and so on.

References

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  1. ^ Wells, David (1997). The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Numbers. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-026149-3.
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Numerals and numeral systems".