A nerdy thread about language and numbers

[Mallory Knox]

that was why i decided i wouldnt learn french. im bad at math.

now spanish

1. once
12. doce
13. trece
14. catorce
15. quince
16. dieciséis
17. diecisiete
18. dieciocho
19. diecinueve
20. veinte
21. veintiuno
22. veintidós
23. veintitrés

[Black Mambo]

Originally Posted by Hellish With Relish

Yeah in french 80 is quatre vingts, so literally four twenties. And 90 is quatre vingts dix

Oh I totally forgot that's how 90 went. For some reason I had it in my head that it had its own name.

[I see you edited to mention 70 too... omg, I can't believe how much I have forgotten. Seriously.]

Ah so Spanish stops at 15 with the odd names and goes ten-six, ten-seven after that? So I guess it's a bit more different from French than I thought, since French goes up to 16 and then does the ten-seven thing.

My brain is frazzled.

[Mallory Knox]

spanish is easy because it is the same as my native language pretty much the numbers i mean.

[Solly Coleslaw]

the elev in eleven and the elve in twelve both have the same origin as the words leave or left, as in left over after you have counted or taken ten.

so eleven means left one, twelve means two left.

elf and zwolf in german likewise

[badbadllama]

Originally Posted by Solly Coleslaw

the elev in eleven and the elve in twelve both have the same origin as the words leave or left, as in left over after you have counted or taken ten.

so eleven means left one, twelve means two left.

elf and zwolf in german likewise

wow really? that's fascinating. i never noticed that eleven and twelve both have the "elve" bit in them (i guess because it's pronounced differently in each word) but it actually makes perfect sense now i look at it.

french used to do my head in once you got up to 70, 80 etc. some of the numbers just take so long to say! like the number 98 is quatre vingt dix huit unless i'm mistaken. EFFORT.

i heart this thread.