En réponse à Andreas Johansson <and_yo@...>:
> >
> >It depends what you mean by base. Base in a mathematical definition
> has
> >nothing
> >to do with language but with the way to represent numbers.
>
> Now, one of the many functions of language is to represent numbers.
>
I meant: to represent in writing. Celtic languages do fine with Arabic numbers,
based on base 10, while their numbers are on base 20.
> >Bases in languages
> >are the "root" numbers used to count. For instance, French uses both
> base
> >10
> >and base 20 (for numbers until 16 and for numbers from 60 until 99).
> Port-
> >Essington, a language of Tasmania, has only numbers until 4, but it
> counts
> >them
> >as 1, 2, 2+1, 4. Base 2?
>
> That'd clearly be base two.
>
So you agree with me :) .
Christophe.
http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr