Toba-Maskoy language

Toba-Maskoy was derived^{[clarification needed]} from Paraguay, specifically in the Chaco region of the Alto Paraguay department.^[2]

Toba-Maskoy is spoken near Puerto Victoria, in the north of Paraguay.

Though Toba-Maskoy is not the official language of Paraguay, it has a special well known status in the northern part of El Chaco.^{[citation needed]}

Toba Maskoy is one of the five members of the Maskoy linguistic family, the other four include: Angaite, Enxet, Kaskiha, and Sanapan.^[3]

It is believed that around 1870 some Toba chiefs immigrated from Argentina escaping constant victimization of their peoples, thus settling in Alto Paraguay. Since that transitional period, the language suffered both linguistically and culturally.^[4] To this day it is rare to find grammar or writings in Toba-Maskoy due to a significant loss in the linguistic elements.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

The below table shows the Toba number system, which has separate words for ${\displaystyle 1,2,4}$ and all other numbers being composites of these words. According to Closs,^[5] the number 1 is always used in terms of addition.

While the number ${\displaystyle 4}$ is derived from the word "equals", which indicates the understanding of the concept of 2- groupings. Multiplication in the Toba Number system only occurs in the form of doubling, however this number system demonstrates the understanding of additive and basic multiplicative properties.

, Toba Number Sequence^[5][6]

Decimal Number	Toba Number	Notes
1	nathedac
2	cacyni, nivoca
3	cacaynilia	2+"lia"
4	nalotapegat	"equals"
5	nivoca cacainilia	${\displaystyle 2+3}$
6	cacayni cacynilia	${\displaystyle 2\times 3}$
7	nathedac cacayni cacaynilia	${\displaystyle 1+(2\times 3)}$
8	nivoca nalotapegat	${\displaystyle 2\times 4}$
9	nivoca nalotapegat nathedac	${\displaystyle (2\times 4)+1}$
10	cacayni nivoca nalotapegat	${\displaystyle 2+(2\times 4)}$