[lojban] Re: Piraha and SWH

[Pierre Abbat <lojban-out@lojban.org>]

On Friday 20 August 2004 15:09, Robin Lee Powell wrote:
> 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040820/NUMBERS20/TPScience/

Hm. Is there any way the Pirahã (that word keeps making me think Piranha) 
could be convinced to let their children take math lessons so that when they 
grow up they can tell when they're being cheated? Or are they too afraid that 
that'll make their kids' heads crooked?

I just looked up Pirahã and found this: "Uma criança pode ou não continuar a 
viver com seus pais depois dos três anos de idade. A maioria das aldeias 
grandes tem uma subcultura de crianças, de três a catorze anos, que moram 
juntas e cuidam umas das outras." Since the Pirahã don't count, how does 
anyone know how old they are? 
http://www.sil.org/americas/brasil/LANGPAGE/PortPHPg.htm

Somewhere I have a Glenn Doman book, _Teach your Baby Math_, which explains 
how to teach your baby to recognize numbers up to 100 at a glance. When I get 
kids (a'o) I'll try it, and other math flashcards too. He mentions, IIRR, the 
"Xingu tribe" as being unable to count, but as Xingu is a river and the 
Pirahã are not on it, I'm not sure who he means.

phma
-- 
li fi'u vu'u fi'u fi'u du li pa