Re: Counting in Toono

"David G. Durand" wrote:

> <snip>
> It's based on the "balanced ternary" system discussed by Donald Knuth,
> which has the digits 0, 1, and -1. Negation is just a matter of flipping
> the digits, and so on. I worked out a hand-based counting system (based on
> the gaps between the fingers) to go with the numbers, but I'm not sure how
> to document it. I should probably scan in my little cartoon hands or
> something.
>
> It's not than unworkable a system, I think, once you get used to it.
>
> You can do a base-10 variation, but it's much nicer with an odd base,
> because you want to have the same number of positive and negative digits on
> either side of the zero.
>
> Do you think that it's just _too_ bizarre for a naturalistic artlang?
>
David, it's a wild system.   :-)    I like it. Could it be extended to handle
fractions?  Which way would
decimals and transcendentals like "pi" go? And for Heaven's sake what about
complex numbers with all that square root of minus one stuff? The mind boggles!

Dan Sulani


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