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How do some Oceanic languages use dual and paucal number forms?
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Austronesian languages
Major divisions of the Austronesian languages.
In addition to singular and plural forms, many Oceanic languages utilize a dual number to specifically refer to two entities, such as "we two," "you two," or "the two of them."1
Some of these languages also distinguish a fourth number category known as the paucal, which refers to a group that is larger than two but smaller than a typical plural. Although this form historically evolved from the Proto-Austronesian word for "three," it is often applied to groups of up to five individuals, effectively functioning as a term for "a few."1