A couple of anthropologists fly to the South Sea islands to study the locals. 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 his doing. When he gets there, he finds the other anthropologist standing among a group of locals.
"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 to a palm tree and says, "what is that?".
The locals, in unison, say "umbalo-gong".
He then points at a rock and says, "and that?".
The locals 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'!".
