Other bases was Re: Numbers from 1-10

On Friday 29 August 2003 09:53 pm, Nik Taylor wrote:
> Most languages are base 10, pure and simple.  English, for example, is
> pretty much purely base 10, altho sound changes have obscured the origin
> of "eleven" and "twelve".  Some languages are base 20, some are base 5,
> some are other bases.  Some languages have a mixture, usually due to
> language contact or change; for example, the Celtic languages used base
> 20, French, due to Gaullish influence, acquired some base 20, while
> Nahuatl uses 5's for 1-19, but then 20's above that, so that 57 would
> translate literally as something like "two twenties three fives two",
> and then special words for 400, 8000, 160,000 etc.
        Just out of curiousity, are there any natlangs that are base-8? (I heard that
Germanic might possibly have been base-8 at some point, but this was from a
less than reliable source.) I should qualify base-8 as 1-8, not 0-7, which is
what is commonly assumed. (E.g., computer octals.)
        I believe that I have mentioned in times prior that Enamyn is base-8. When
counting on one's fingers, thumbs are used as place holders; for 1-8, thumbs
are not counted, 9-16 one thumb is extended, 17-24 both thumbs are extended.
Past 24, and you stop using your fingers. :)
        Enamyn numbers:
        1. vyl /vl=/
        2. ci /ki/
        3. eyn /Ejn/
        4. pel /pEl/
        5. od /Od/
        6. marh /max/
        7. ash /aS/
        8. tsi /tsi/

        The rest are just worn-down combinations:
                9 - 16
        11. vivyl /vivl=/
        12. vylci /vl=ki/=/
        13. veyn /vEjn/
        14. vipel /vipEl/
        15. vlod /vlOd/
        16. vylmarh /vl=max/
        17. vlash /vlaS/
        18. vitsi /vitsi/
                17 - 24
        21. civyl /kivl=/
        22. cic /kik/
        23. cyen /kjEn/
        24. cipel /kipEl/
        25. cyod /kjOd/
        26. cimarh /kimax/
        27. cyash /kjaS/
        28. cits /kits/
                25 - 32
        31. ynvyl /n=.vl=/
        32. ynci /n=ci/
        33. neyn /nEjn/
        34. ynpel /n=pEl/
        35. nod /nOd/
        36. ynmarh /n=max/
        37. nash /naS/
        38. eynts /Ejnts/
                33 - 40
        41. pevyl /pEvl=/
        42. pelci /pElki/
        43. peleyn /pElEjn/
        44. pepel /pEpEl/
        45. peld /pEld/
        46. pemarh /pEmax/
        47. pelsh /pElS/
        48. pelts /pElts/
                41 - 48
        51. ovyl /Ovl=/
        52. otci /Otki/
        53. odyn /Odn=/
        54. opel /OpEl/
        55. odo /OdO/
        56. odmarh /Odmax/
        57. odash /OdaS/
        58. ots /Ots/
                49 - 56
        61. mavyl /mavl=/
        62. maci /maKi/
        63. marheyn /maxEjn/
        64. mapel /mapEl/
        65. marhod /maxOd/
        66. mamarh /mamax/
        67. marhash /maxaS/
        68. mats /mats/
                57 - 64
        71. ashvyl /aSvl=/
        72. ashci /aSki/
        73. asheyn /aSEjn/
        74. ashpyl /aSpl=/
        75. ashot /aSOt/
        76. ashmarh /aSmax/
        77. asha /aSa/
        78. achi /atSi/
                65 -72
        81. tsivyl /tsivl=/
        82. tsic /tsik/
        83. tsyen /tsjen/
        84. tspel /tspEl/
        85. tsyod /tsjOd/
        86. tsimarh /tsimax/
        87. tsyash /tsjaS/
        88. tsits /tsits/

        Etc...
        :Peter
--
Oh what a tangled web they weave who try a new word to conceive!

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