Counting by Groups

The numeral reference describes distributives with sag- and initial-syllable repetition. Clear listed forms include sagdudua, “two each,” and saglilima, “five each”: sag + du + dua and sag + li + lima. Other listed forms include irregular or dialectal shapes; these two examples do not establish a mechanically uniform paradigm.

In ordinary numeral modification, the numeral precedes its noun and takes a linker. Compare sagdudua a libro, two books per relevant share, with dua a libro, two books. The distributive phrase itself identifies neither the recipients nor their number. The modern convention uses a before consonant-initial nouns here.

Full repetition expresses grouping: duadua, “two by two.” The older reference prints dua-dua; modern spelling joins fully repeated consonant-initial roots. Grouping differs from assigning two each and from doing something twice. The cards are fragments, not complete allocation sentences.