Re: Tiny Ini Update

Irina Rempt wrote:

> > I think a base-9 system is called "nonimal"... but I could be wrong,
>
> Except that the radix of "decimal" is not "deci-", but "decim-". That
> would make it "nonal" (or perhaps "noval"), analogous to "octal". The
> fact that 9 in Latin is "novem" makes me think that it could also be
> "novimal" - aargh!
"Nonal" is one correct alternative.

Here's a table Ray Brown once provided on a different mailing list.
I hope he forgives me for re-posting it here.  Note that of the universally
used base names, "octal" is a total barbarism, and "hexadecimal" is a
Latin/Greek hybrid.

         FROM LATIN         FROM LATIN      FROM
RADIX    DISTRIBUTIVES      FRACTIONS       GREEK
 2        binary             dimidial        dyadic
 3      ternary/trinary      tertial         triadic
 4        quaternary         quartal         tetradic
 5        quinary            quintal         pentadic
 6        senary             sextal          hexadic
 7        septenary          septimal        heptadic
 8        octonary           octaval         octadic
 9        novenary           nonal           enneadic
10        denary             decimal         decadic
11        undenary           undecimal       hendecadic
12        duodenary          duodecimal      dodecadic
..          ....              ....            ....
16        senidenary         sextadecimal    heccaedecadic
20        vicenary           vigesimal       icosadic

'vicesimal' would be more correctly derived from Latin 'uicesima (pars)' =
1/20.  But, tho my dictionary does give 'vicesimal' as an alternative to
'vigesimal', I fear the latter is too entrenched in the language now.

'heccaedecadic' would be /hEksIdI'k&dIk/ and spelt/ spelled 'heccedecadic'
in north America, I assume  :)

PS - I _know_ 'hebdomadic' & 'ogdoadic' are alternative Greek derivatives
for bases 7 & 8.  But IMHO to say that they are "better" than 'heptadic' &
'octadic' is pedantry gone mad.

--

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