Re: CHAT: mathematics

On Fri, 17 Nov 2000, Carlos Thompson wrote:

> ObConlang
>
> In my proposal for a math module for NGL I proposed the following
> names for the set of numbers ({duol} means number):
>   duolniri :  natural numbers (from niri A - hard)
>   duolku'i : rational numbers (from ku'i V - compare)
>   duolrino :  real numbers (from rino S - oil)
>   duolitro :  imaginary numbers (from itro A - ortogonal)
I like the use of "compare" for the rationals, but could you enlighten me
as to how "oil" suggests real numbers?  I confess I'm not seeing the
connection myself, but I'm eager to hear.  :-)

> Some posibilities I'm considering for integers:
>   duolzaut : from steam/trunk numbers
>   duolzoih : from root numbers
>   duolzuoh : from wild numbers
>   duolzuy :  from wing numbers
> Other attested roots begining in {z} mean: officer, close, brain, to
> rule, danger, thogh, touch, mils alcoholic brevage, condition, to
> develop, arm/hand, dependent, comb, must, predictable, China, to slip,
> back and forth, child, play, fun, if, six, all.
Hmm.  Are your confolk winged?  What did they originally use as counting
devices?  Feathers maybe?  I could see "from wing numbers" in that case,
and it's such a lyrical name, conceptually.

> For complex numbers I have less ideas, but those roots begining in C
> mean: seven, front/chest, to react, to act, board, lens, to let, to
> pump, to approve, tool, to mark, to open, essentially, reazon/logic,
> time/weather, Chile, chimpanzee, bright/white/ugly, error, puberscent,
> with (instrumental), building, art, to burn, deep/low.
>
> Some ideas which of these words would be a nice analogy for complex
> numbers?
Complex numbers?  Hmm.  I've seen complex numbers used in E&M but darned
if I remember the context.  (I barely escaped from that class with my
sanity; the prof was just awful.)  Are they used in optics?  (I never got
that far in college physics.)  Then "lens" would be a lovely name.

Strange as English names for number-types are, I rather like
them--they're almost a mnemonic in themselves for the history of their
development.  I haven't actually figured out the history of mathematics
in relation to my own conlang; I am quite, quite curious about Chinese
civilization's early lead in mathematics and how it developed there, but
haven't actually gotten around to researching it.  I've read _The
Mathematical Experience_ by Davis & Hersh as well as _A History of
Mathematics_ by someone else, but both focus on "mainstream" Western
mathematics and much less so on, hmm, comparative systems in different
cultures.  I wonder if this is something anthropologists & linguists
would have more material on...?  Or is it too specialized?

YHL