Re: Argument Structures

----- Original Message -----
From: daniel andreasson <daniel.andreasson@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 10:57 PM
Subject: Re: Argument Structures


> Jonathan Jones wrote:
>
> > In addition, all words are derived from verbs, so there should,
> > theoretically, be only one class of words. (Oh, apart from
numbers,
> > I suspect.)
>
> Why couldn't you have numbers as verbs? You can have "to be one
> in number" as a verb, and probably do just fine. Chickasaw does,
> IIRC, and they seem to manage. I think having numbers as verbs
> is a really cool feature to have in a language.
>
> Daniel
I could. But verbs tend to be at least 3 syllables long, and the
number system involves reading (e.g.) 12,345 as one, two, three, four,
five.    I feel it's a bit much to inflict a fifteen syllable word on
speakers for 12,345!
Also, the numbers . . . . . hmm.  Hang on, now I come to write this
down I realise that since I originally thought of the numbers I've
since worked out an abbreviation system . . ..  hmm.
In fact, maybe I could have them as verbs! [scribbles frantically on
a bit of paper]  Yep - i reckon that might work! Cheers for the
comment!

In fact, I'll add a bit more about the numbers, as this is a good
oportunity to seek answers for a few questions.

When at school, it always struck me as odd that it was necessary to
work out long addition, subtraction and multiplication "backwards" ie
starting at the right. And so one of the things I was DETERMINED to
include was a number system written "backwards", units on the left,
tens to the right, then hundreds, etc.
So if the numbers are as follows -

(units)                      (tens)                     (hundreds)
0   ooz                    00  uuz                    000 ouz
1   aap                    01  eep                    001 iip
2   oob                    02  uub                   002 oub
3   aat                     03  eet                     003 iit
4   ood                    04  uud                   004 oud
5   aak                    05 eek                    005 iik
6   oog                    06  uug                   006 oug
7   aaf                     07 eef                     007 iif
8   oov                    08  uuv                   008 ouv
9   aas                     09 ees                    009 iis

(Actually, the system will probably use base-6, but never mind.)
(Oh and if I were to derive 1 from to-be-one, then it would be
something like haap, heek, hiis, etc.)

The number 12,345 would be written akodat obaap (only final vowel is
long) or 543,21
The number 10,000 would be ouzeep, and so on.

Well, thinking about this, it crossed my mind that our number system
is derived from Arabic, yes? And Arabic is written right to left. Does
anyone know which way Arabic numbers are written? (I reckon that they
appear the same way as in English, so 2000 would still be 2000, but
reading right to left would be 0002. I don't actually know this,
however.)

Anyone know any other different counting systems?

JJ