Re: Numbers ancient & modern (was: Unilang report)

En réponse à daniel andreasson <daniel.andreasson@...>:

>
> OK. So it looks like this from north to south:
>
> Belgium:  septante     | quatre-vingt | quatre-vingt-dix
> France:   soixante-dix | quatre-vingt | quatre-vingt-dix
> N. Switz: septante     | octante      | nonante
> S. Switz: septante     | huitante     | neuvante
>
> So what to expect in the future? Obviously the decimal
> forms are spreading. The question is if "octante/nonante"
> or "huitante/neuvante" will win.
>
I'm not sure about this. The vigesimal forms are quite settled in France, and
they are known from Belgians and Swiss people too, while French people usually
don't know the decimal forms, unless they have lived in Belgium or Switzerland.
I don't think the decimal forms are spreading, they are rather losing place.

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr