Re: measuring systems (was: Selenites)

-----Mensaje original-----
De: John Cowan <cowan@...>
Fecha: Martes 29 de Septiembre de 1998 10:35

>In Lojban and Loglan and -gua!spi, 56 is just "five six".  The
>first two languages, at least, also have a word for "thousands
>separator" (comma, dot or thin space depending on your culture),
>so you can say "one two three separator four five six" for
>"123456": this helps the listener stay on track.
>
>Exponential notation is also available: "three two exp eight" means
>8 x 10^32.  The exponent comes first so that the order of
>magnitude is instantly available.

In some projects I've thoght on very complex systems I pretend to implement
in one of my current project if culture fits.

It has individual numbers from zero to nineteen.

It has a dual base ten, base sexteen system.  In numbers from zero to nine
there is no disctintion.
In base ten:
Numbers from zero to nineteen use their bare forms.
A derivational short form of ten (like -ty) is used for tents then 20 is
two-ty, 30 is three-ty, etc. even 120 = twelve-ty.
There is a word for one hundred (i.e. hundred), and a derivational short
form is used (i.e. -dry).  Then 100 = hundred or ten-ty or one-dry (first
prefered), 200 = two-dry, 300 = three-dry, etc.even 1900 = nineteen-dry.
There is a word for thousand with no short form (i.e. thuon)
The standard way for naming 123456 would be then:
hundred two-ty three thoun four-dry five-ty six
But 120000 would be twelve-ty thoun.
Forms like twelve-ty would be used in informal speech or in some especial
cases (like tweve-ty degrees for 1/3 turn).
A world for million with no number inflexion.
A world for milliard (Billion in USA) with no number inflexion
1000000000 should be one milliard
1001000000 should be one thoun one million,
milliard would only ne allowed where "thoun million" would appear and would
be the prefered way.
For grather numbers, systems follow: a -llion sufix for two to nineteen
numbers meaning power of one million.  A -lliard sufix so one N-lliard = one
thoun N-llion.
For numbers greather or equal to 10^120, exponential notations would be
used.

The exponential forms follow:
3.56 x 10^42 would be three decdot five six posexp four-ty two
3.56 x 10^-42 would be three decdot five six negexp four-ty two
where decdot, posexp and negexp are words in my system.

Decimalas are given
3.567: three decdot five six seven

In base sixteen:
Numbers from zero to fifteen are used as in decimal.
There is a derivational short form for sexteen (like -xy), the 1Ah would be
one-xy ten
There is a particle for 100h/256d (like dir) then 3456h would be three-xy
four dir five-xy six, or, acceptable and some times prefferible: three four
dir five six.

In base sixteen, non introducing zero should always be pronounced.

There is a derivational sufix (like -lun) meaning level of gouping then
one-lun means four digit grouping, two-lun means eight digit grouping (two
one-lun), three-lun means sixteen digit grouping (two two-lun or four
one-loun).  Then (N+1)-lun goups the double of digit than a N-lun
123456789ABCDEF013579BDF02468ACEh is
one two dir three four onelun five six dir seven eight twolun nine ten dir
eleven twelve onelun thirteen fourteen dir fifteen zero threelun one three
dir five seven onelun nine eleven dir thirteen fiveteen twolun zero two dir
four six onelun eight ten dir twelve fourteen.

With the apropiate selfsegregeting morphemes, all this could be written in
one word or splited for ease of reading.

-- Carlos Th