The first twelve numbers have unique names, but 13 was viewed as an unlucky number. Many were superstitious. Imagine if you had to memorize a billion names. Obviously, unique names had to stop at some point.
Many things ended with 12. Maybe it's because we live on Earth, and there are 12 hours in a day, 12 months in a year, and 12 zodiac signs. We even have a dozen eggs ...
If you are wondering why 11 or 12 were named the way they were, well, it was probably done the same way we name a child. It was done with lots of thought put into the name, especially a child's name ... to make it easy for the child to write out their name and for others to remember it.
But if you search the web or let an AI do it for you you might get a more academic answer.
Many things ended with 12. Maybe it's because we live on Earth, and there are 12 hours in a day, 12 months in a year, and 12 zodiac signs. We even have a dozen eggs ...
If you are wondering why 11 or 12 were named the way they were, well, it was probably done the same way we name a child. It was done with lots of thought put into the name, especially a child's name ... to make it easy for the child to write out their name and for others to remember it.
But if you search the web or let an AI do it for you you might get a more academic answer.
oh myyy xD it makes sense.. i’ll use that irl soo good :)
Well as a native Spanish speaker I can tell you're not alone :)
@Noflaps said in #10:
> @DuMussDieUhrDruecken , with regard to your #8, don't you think it would be better if you didn't criticize me unnecessarily and too often? If you truly object to my posts, why not just ignore them? Or address where you think I am wrong substantively.
>
> Disagreeing with the substance of what I say is one thing -- that seems perfectly okay and fair, if the disagreement is sincere.
>
> But accusing me of "interfering" simply because I posted an answer -- whether pertinent or not -- seems much different from mere disagreement about substance, doesn't it?
>
> Similarly, referring vaguely and insultingly to my supposed "unprecise nebula of not even halfknowledge" doesn't really provide any pertinent answer of your own to the topic, does it? Yet, not providing a pertinent answer to the topic seems to be the very thing for which you are criticizing me.
>
> I am not looking to jump all over your posts with reflexive "thumbs downs" and personal attacks. Indeed, I carry no grudge toward you or anybody else here. I wouldn't now be responding to your #8 if it appeared simply to disagree with the substance of what I wrote.
>
> In any event, the answer I gave is ACTUALLY quite pertinent. Consult a good book on the history of mathematics and discover how traces of the ancient still show up, faintly, in the way we talk about mathematics today.
>
> Do you actually think there's a BETTER answer for why we don't say "onety-one" than the answer I gave? If so, please provide it.
>
> Similarly, consider, for example, why the French, say "four twenties" instead of eighty. It appears likely to be a relic from the use of a base-twenty system in the past, which is one of the few systems humans used historically. And that system may indeed have come from early humans thinking of fingers plus toes when counting.
>
> The ancient Babylonians even used base-60, which helps to explain why we decided to use 360 degrees to describe a full circumference. Why they used base 60 is a bit of a mystery -- although base 60 does have some advantages: many divisors for the base. But it creates very unwieldy multiplication tables.
>
> I'm not making any of this up. And I didn't have to look any of it up. Feel free to check what I write, if you don't already find it familiar.
>
> I don't like to abandon humility, but I am far more informed than you seem to realize, my friend. Why don't we just get along? I am not looking for an opportunity to criticize you. I'm just writing, in good faith and with good will.
chill its just a random chess forum you didn't have to type a 5-page essay
> @DuMussDieUhrDruecken , with regard to your #8, don't you think it would be better if you didn't criticize me unnecessarily and too often? If you truly object to my posts, why not just ignore them? Or address where you think I am wrong substantively.
>
> Disagreeing with the substance of what I say is one thing -- that seems perfectly okay and fair, if the disagreement is sincere.
>
> But accusing me of "interfering" simply because I posted an answer -- whether pertinent or not -- seems much different from mere disagreement about substance, doesn't it?
>
> Similarly, referring vaguely and insultingly to my supposed "unprecise nebula of not even halfknowledge" doesn't really provide any pertinent answer of your own to the topic, does it? Yet, not providing a pertinent answer to the topic seems to be the very thing for which you are criticizing me.
>
> I am not looking to jump all over your posts with reflexive "thumbs downs" and personal attacks. Indeed, I carry no grudge toward you or anybody else here. I wouldn't now be responding to your #8 if it appeared simply to disagree with the substance of what I wrote.
>
> In any event, the answer I gave is ACTUALLY quite pertinent. Consult a good book on the history of mathematics and discover how traces of the ancient still show up, faintly, in the way we talk about mathematics today.
>
> Do you actually think there's a BETTER answer for why we don't say "onety-one" than the answer I gave? If so, please provide it.
>
> Similarly, consider, for example, why the French, say "four twenties" instead of eighty. It appears likely to be a relic from the use of a base-twenty system in the past, which is one of the few systems humans used historically. And that system may indeed have come from early humans thinking of fingers plus toes when counting.
>
> The ancient Babylonians even used base-60, which helps to explain why we decided to use 360 degrees to describe a full circumference. Why they used base 60 is a bit of a mystery -- although base 60 does have some advantages: many divisors for the base. But it creates very unwieldy multiplication tables.
>
> I'm not making any of this up. And I didn't have to look any of it up. Feel free to check what I write, if you don't already find it familiar.
>
> I don't like to abandon humility, but I am far more informed than you seem to realize, my friend. Why don't we just get along? I am not looking for an opportunity to criticize you. I'm just writing, in good faith and with good will.
chill its just a random chess forum you didn't have to type a 5-page essay
I suspect my post could fit on a single page, @ThatRandomPerson111, but I could be mistaken, no doubt.
I was tempted to write more, but a little math history goes a long way, I think.
Thanks to @Dukedog in his #17 for providing a still more interesting and detailed explanation about the apparently connected origins of 11 and 12.
I was tempted to write more, but a little math history goes a long way, I think.
Thanks to @Dukedog in his #17 for providing a still more interesting and detailed explanation about the apparently connected origins of 11 and 12.
@Noflaps said in #6:
> The concept of a dozen is pretty old.
>
> Notice that it's eleven and twelve that are unusual. After a dozen we start thirTEEN, fourTEEN, etc.
I had a friend who jokingly refereed to her eleven year old daughter as being oneteen, because she was already acting as a teenager.
> The concept of a dozen is pretty old.
>
> Notice that it's eleven and twelve that are unusual. After a dozen we start thirTEEN, fourTEEN, etc.
I had a friend who jokingly refereed to her eleven year old daughter as being oneteen, because she was already acting as a teenager.
@Toscani said in #22:
> Many things ended with 12. Maybe it's because we live on Earth, and there are 12 hours in a day, 12 months in a year, and 12 zodiac signs. We even have a dozen eggs ...
you are on to something. the reason many things are divided by 12 is, because 12 is a small number yet has many divisors. so people could easily calculate, take 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, ... out of 12. same with 60, someone already pointed out sumerians/babylonians used, its 12*5. one more divisor. and because of this 12-base, they counted like 1..12 and gave 11 and 12 a special word. so, its all because of wisdom, simplicity and beauty.
> Many things ended with 12. Maybe it's because we live on Earth, and there are 12 hours in a day, 12 months in a year, and 12 zodiac signs. We even have a dozen eggs ...
you are on to something. the reason many things are divided by 12 is, because 12 is a small number yet has many divisors. so people could easily calculate, take 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, ... out of 12. same with 60, someone already pointed out sumerians/babylonians used, its 12*5. one more divisor. and because of this 12-base, they counted like 1..12 and gave 11 and 12 a special word. so, its all because of wisdom, simplicity and beauty.
@Oportunist said in #13:
> a thousand and hundred and eleven
@Rainbow_Pink_Lover said in #27:
> onety onety onety one?
It is tough kinda
but nice try XD
both of you are right!!!!!!!
I love it :D
1111 is pronounced as per context
in what context it has to be said.... eg year or as number
I guess this video will explain you better
youtu.be/5Q6RJV7h6ng?si=mprZqUT68IHRr41a
> a thousand and hundred and eleven
@Rainbow_Pink_Lover said in #27:
> onety onety onety one?
It is tough kinda
but nice try XD
both of you are right!!!!!!!
I love it :D
1111 is pronounced as per context
in what context it has to be said.... eg year or as number
I guess this video will explain you better
youtu.be/5Q6RJV7h6ng?si=mprZqUT68IHRr41a
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