4 ms·

Filipino and Polynesian languages come from the same linguistic branch, and their numbers are similar for most and the same for some.

• thematrixturtle 5y ago
  It's over 11,000 km from Malaysia to the Cook Islands, yet the number 5 is lima in Malay and rima in Cook Islands Maori.
  • marc_abonce 5y ago
    Apparently it's also rima in Rapanui, the language of Easter Island near Chile. And the number two is even crazier, being roa in Malagasy and rua in Rapanui, so this word is shared from Madagascar all the way to Easter Island. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rima#Rapa_Nui https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rima#Rapa_Nui https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rua#Rapa_Nui https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rua#Rapa_Nui https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/roa#Malagasy https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/roa#Malagasy
    • tmnvix 5y ago
      Likely because Polynesians are descended from East Asians that migrated south to Melanesia and then out into Polynesia.