Re: The English/French counting system (WAS: number systems fromconlangs)

Tristan McLeay wrote:


> Is this (saying 'a hundred five-and-twenty') where the 'and' came from in
> 'a hundred and twenty-five'? Did they say 'a hundred and twenty' or 'a
> hundred twenty'.*
>
> *I'm aware some (primarily American I believe) dialects skip the 'and' in
> all cases at least nowadays.
>
I've never carried out a survey, but would bet that the majority of us say
"a/two/etc hundred and....."  Curiously, back in my primary schooldays (in
the 40s), that was considered BAD; we were supposed to say "a hundred
twenty....etc."  So much for the power of schoolmarms.

Archaic, in my view, is the use of "and" when saying years-- e.g. "back in
eighteen and ninety-eight".  Another, though still heard-- sticking "of"
into "the U S of A" rather than "the U S A".