Not really. We are talking about how numbers are called in different languages. Other languages have actual names for twenty that aren’t a combination of digit+ten.
Basque is hogei, ten is hamar, two is bi, there is no phonetic similarity. The way language is created then informs how counting and numbers work.
Spanish has a proper distinct name for 20, but then is like english for 30 and above.
No need to be so passive aggressive while not understanding what I was trying to explain.
First off, the remark about French and 92 is a jab at French in particular. No other romance language for some reason stalls out at 70 and cobbles together the 80s and 90s. There is a modern word, IIRC “neufant” or something that’s closer to “nine tens.”
To your point, base 10 counting, which we use because of how many fingers our species has. Whether we use base 8, 10, 12, etc. counting, the fact remains that all counting uses incremental increases like base 10.
9 rolls over to 1 unit in the 10s column. 19 rolls over to 2 units in the 10s column.
So if we say “4 x 20” instead of 80, were suddenly creating a second, nested, base 20 counting system (confusingly, using base 10 numbers!) within our usual base 10 system. So it’s the same in the sense that we are using numbers in general, but different in that it anchors the counting base in a weird way.
Let’s say I run a restaraunt and make omlettes. I can make a 2 egg, 3 egg, or 4 egg omlette for you. But the 4 egg omlette is tiny. Why? Because for the 4 egg omlette I use quail eggs. But only for the 4 and 5 egg omlettes. Order a 6 egg omlette and you’re getting a half dozen chicken eggs in some 100 square meter omlette. Multiples of 4 and 5, always quail eggs. It’s sort of like that.
fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Not really. We are talking about how numbers are called in different languages. Other languages have actual names for twenty that aren’t a combination of digit+ten.
Basque is hogei, ten is hamar, two is bi, there is no phonetic similarity. The way language is created then informs how counting and numbers work.
Spanish has a proper distinct name for 20, but then is like english for 30 and above.
No need to be so passive aggressive while not understanding what I was trying to explain.
hansolo@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
I’m not being passive at all.
First off, the remark about French and 92 is a jab at French in particular. No other romance language for some reason stalls out at 70 and cobbles together the 80s and 90s. There is a modern word, IIRC “neufant” or something that’s closer to “nine tens.”
To your point, base 10 counting, which we use because of how many fingers our species has. Whether we use base 8, 10, 12, etc. counting, the fact remains that all counting uses incremental increases like base 10.
9 rolls over to 1 unit in the 10s column. 19 rolls over to 2 units in the 10s column.
So if we say “4 x 20” instead of 80, were suddenly creating a second, nested, base 20 counting system (confusingly, using base 10 numbers!) within our usual base 10 system. So it’s the same in the sense that we are using numbers in general, but different in that it anchors the counting base in a weird way.
Let’s say I run a restaraunt and make omlettes. I can make a 2 egg, 3 egg, or 4 egg omlette for you. But the 4 egg omlette is tiny. Why? Because for the 4 egg omlette I use quail eggs. But only for the 4 and 5 egg omlettes. Order a 6 egg omlette and you’re getting a half dozen chicken eggs in some 100 square meter omlette. Multiples of 4 and 5, always quail eggs. It’s sort of like that.