Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: Unilang report

From:Weiben Wang <wwang@...>
Date:Monday, May 21, 2001, 18:52
Just wondering, how does the traditional, 20-based system work, and do you know
when and how the new system was created?

-Weiben

On Mon, 21 May 2001, Raymond Brown wrote:

> > At 9:01 pm -0400 20/5/01, Oskar Gudlaugsson wrote: > [snip] > > > >The numerals function pretty much as in Chinese, Japanese, or, if I > >remember an old post of Raymond Brown's correctly, as in Welsh, and > >probably lots of other langs: > > > >11 = '10' '1' > >20 = '2' '10' > >99 = '9' '10' '9' > > Small point - in modern Welsh 11 = '1' '10' '1' = un deg un :) > > In case anyone is wondering, Welsh has _two_ system for numbers: > traditional (counting in 20s) and modern (decimal). The modern is now used > almost universally except when telling the time or giving one's age up to > about 30, after which the modern is generally used (because it's easier). > > Ray. > > ========================================= > A mind which thinks at its own expense > will always interfere with language. > [J.G. Hamann 1760] > =========================================

Reply

Raymond Brown <ray.brown@...>Numbers ancient & modern (was: Unilang report)