Re: Types of numerals; bases in natlangs.

John Vertical wrote:
[snip]
>> If a language has base five or base eight or base ten or
>> base twenty, why is "twelve" a common numeral?
>
>
> The majority of the languages surveyed are European, so the measure
> systems of 12 inch in a foot and 12 ounces in a pound may have
> influenced this.
now 16 ounces in a (Avoirdupois) pound - but, you are right, the older
roman pound & the Troy* pound was divided into 12 ounces.

*Nothing to do with the ancient city, sacked by the Greeks. the name is
from Troyes in France.

> I can't think of a directly numerical explanation.
It's to do with _fractions_.

Cardinal & ordinal numbers in Latin are base ten. But when it came to
fractions, the Romans clearly preferred to work in twelfths - easier to
divide into thirds & quarters than it would be if working in 10ths. I
recently (5th Jan 05) gave the Latin names for the twelfths from 1/12
though to 11/12; and, as I wrote, the English words "inch" and "ounce"
are both derived from the Latin _uncia_ /'u:Nkia/ = 1/12 - the former
coming to us via Old English and the latter via Old French.

BTW the symbols for each 12th were:
   i. from 1/12 through to 5/12 - as the spots 1 to 5 on a dice.
  ii. 6/12 or 1/2 is  S
iii. 7/12 through to 11/12 - S followed by the spots 1 to 5.

ray@carolandray.plus.com
http://www.carolandray.plus.com
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