MEASURING TIME IN SIMBU PROVINCE

Lucy Aewai, Nabe Jack, Ula Waugla

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is used to some extent in any society, but varies considerably in usage. In PNG, there are similarities in all ethnomathematics among 700 languages. In general, the use and understanding of measurement is simple as long as one knows the language.

Some expressions of numbers or measurement units use what is found in the environment. Both concrete (e.g. using rope for measurement) and more abstract (e.g. weather and natural phenomena) are used. Most traditional societies do not have counting systems that go to hundreds or thousands. There is no clear concept on definite figure but only rough ideas with words. And so this lack of precision has an effect on all the traditional measurement. Because not many people are literate, traditional math is still important to this day.

In this lesson we will look at the measurement of time in Simbu Province expressed in words of the Konda language. The main purpose is to see how some measurement concepts in Western maths are difficult to express in traditional Simbu mathematics.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MATHEMATICS

Time Measurement is an important factor in every society. In Simbu Province in particular there is still a big need in measuring time for many reasons. Measuring time involves many words because of indefinite figures. Most of these words derived from names of the different stages of growth (of humans, animals and plants), special events, and the weather. With that there are many words and some of these are long.

There is no measurement equivalent to hours, minutes and seconds. A day is defined as the period of daylight only. A new month is shown by the moon. A year or Christmas is told by the date of an important pig-killing ceremony. Centuries are not counted in hundreds of years, but long periods of time are related to their family ancestors. Time within the day is told by the position of the sun. These are easy time measurements and relatively simple in comparison to Western Mathematics, but they lack the definite numerical precision of Western time measurement.

MODERN TRADITIONAL

Morning Konduagle Wisugo Egene
Midday Niga Dugo Egene
Afternoon Err Sugo Egene

1 month Ba (=`moon’) suara
2 months Ba suo
3 months Ba suota
4 months Ba suo suo

Christmas (a year) Bugla yugo (pig killing occurs)

Time is also measured by looking a the growth of animals and plants. For example, when a person is born, a tree is planted. The person’s age is later judged not in years but in the growth of the tree. Dates are related to events, or to the stages of human growth, for example baby (guglambu mogo egene), teenage (male: ambai more; female: gumgul more), or marriageable age (ambai more kindgul).

CONCLUSION

Looking at the above lesson it can be seen that time measuring is not a big problem for Simbu people. The outsider will also find it easy if only they learn to know the language. However some of those units are replaced by Western mathematics because of the dying out of some events like pig-killing. Most villages know that Christmas is approaching when students go for Christmas holidays. But still the people use the same words. Probably in a few years time many more people in Simbu will use Western time measurement to their advantages.