Primitive binary numeration

The most primitive systems of counting found in human languages have two words - "one" and "two" - from which all other numbers are formed by concatenation.

Counting to seven in Gumbaynggir, one of the native Australian languages:

1 = galugun
2 = bulari
3 = bulari-galugun
4 = bulari-bulari
5 = bulari-bulari-galugun
6 = bulari-bulari-bulari
7 = bulari-bulari-bulari-galugun

As clumsy as they may seem, "primitive binary" systems are much more common than, say, "primitive trinary" systems based on three words rather than two. This reflects the primeval binary thought in human cultures.

The number system in the Medlpa language of Papua New Guinea represents a more sophisticated form of "binary" counting, with separate names for several powers of two.