Two Anthropologists

Two anthropologists fly to the south sea islands to study the natives. They go to two adjacent islands and set to work. A few months later one of them takes a canoe over to the other island to see how his colleague is doing. When he gets there, he finds the other anthropologist standing among a group of natives.

- Greetings! How is it going? - says the visiting anthropologist.

- Wonderful! - says the other - I have discovered an important fact about the local language! Watch!

He points at a palm tree and says:

- what is that?

The natives, in unison, say:

- Umbalo-gong!

He then points at a rock and says:

- and that?

The natives again intone:

- Umbalo-gong!

- You see! - says the beaming anthropologist - They use the SAME word for 'rock' and for 'palm tree'!

- That is truly amazing! - says the astonished visiting anthropologist - On the other island, the same word means 'index finger'!