Ever wondered about 11 and 12?

[merchant2112]

we should send him to congress.

(maybe he can help)

[Elyas]

Going to congress could be fun. I could try to get them to eliminate time as well. Although time is more enjoyable now that 11:11 is funny-fun funny-fun...

[Pertti]

I have always said that Finnish should become THE World language, our numbers are logical:

1 - yksi
2 - kaksi
3 - kolme
...
11 - yksitoista
12 - kaksitoista
13 - kolmetoista
...

Not to mention the fact that you don't have to figure out how to pronounce our words - once you have seen them written, you just read every letter and it's there.

Pertti
(Danish numerals - forget any logic )

[Elyas]

Do you know what language family Finnish is in? I remember hearing that it is fairly unique, at least as compared to the other Scandinavian languages. French and German also don't seem to be to good with 11 and 12, although they are better than English is

[Wombat]

Finnish is an Indo-Chinese dialect, if I remember correctly.

[Aurel]

Try understanding 80 in French, "quatre vingt" (or something like that)that should translate into "four twenty" and if you put beside it a 19 you get "quatre vingt dix neuf" (I might've spelled wrong the 10 there) "four twenty ten nine", that meaning 99.

(if some french or canadian people are out there please correct me)



[This message has been edited by Aurel (edited 19 May 2000).]

[Genom]

Perti, I pride myself in speaking 3 languages fluently, and being able to understand another 3, but if you think that those numbers are any easier, thank god I dont live where you do.

BTW, I think Mr. Cracksmocker has a good idea going.

Of course, it helps that I am stoned at the moment.....

[Pertti]

Elyas,

Finnish belongs to Finno-Ugric languages, which is rather small language family.
http://suomenkieli.tripod.com/origin.html

(note what they say "Finnish is systematic and LOGICAL" )

Genom, if you did live here, it would make perfect sense

[Elyas]

Perti-Thanks for the info on the Finnish language, I just followed the link. I have a CD or two of Finnish folk/rock type music. Very unusual sounding language. A guy I work with was convinced that it was Japanese(he was from the Philipines).
Genom-The point isn't that the numbers are necessarily any easier, but that they are consistent. Odds are, if we knew the words for 4 or 5, or 14 or 15, we would be able to derive the other. The same is decidedly not true in English, French, or German

[paulcs]

I love threads like this! MSG delerium or not, Elyas should be commended for posting it.

I think English's many idiocyncracies are part of its strength. How did this little island nation off the coast of Europe produce such a canon of literature.

And despite it's many idiocyncracies, it's pretty rational as far as languages go. A less rational language would hinder the flow of commerce.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[paulcs]

Etymology: Middle English enleven, from enleven, adjective, from Old English endleofan, from end- (alteration of An one) + -leofan; akin to Old English lEon to lend -- more at ONE, LOAN
Date: before 12th century

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English twelf; akin to Old High German zwelif twelve, Old English twA two, -leofan (as in endleofan eleven) -- more at TWO, ELEVEN
Date: before 12th century

Makes sense (sort of).

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net


[This message has been edited by paulcs (edited 20 May 2000).]

[Jorden]

Reading the above and High German thing, you could be speaking Dutch

11 = elf
12 = twaalf

Jord.

[The Rock]

I think english people wrote the language that way so that it would be a pain in the ass to translate into other languages. We english are just a pain to other nationalities.

The Rock
www.3dforce.com

[Galvin]

Japanese seem to have it more organized, I don't speak the language but I learned a little of it and the number system but it's been like 9 years since i've done this stuff. But here goes
1 = itchi
2 = ni
11 = juu-itchi
12 = juu-ni
20 = ni-juu
21 = ni-juu-itchi

Well maybe not all that clear since they put the 'juu' at the begging for number 11 thru 19 and then at the end for 20 to 99.