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French numerals | ||
Tags: Number System | French | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| Kosh Tetraglot Newbie Slovakia Joined 6824 days ago 6 posts - 6 votes Speaks: Slovak*, Czech, FrenchC1, English | Message 9 of 23 21 April 2006 at 5:10pm | IP Logged | |||||
Yes, but they use the "french" 80. In Belgium they say: 70=septante 80=quatre-vingt 90=nonante Edited by Kosh on 21 April 2006 at 5:11pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7376 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes  12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 10 of 23 21 April 2006 at 11:27pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Is there anywhere in the world where people actually use Octante for 80?
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| Kosh Tetraglot Newbie Slovakia Joined 6824 days ago 6 posts - 6 votes Speaks: Slovak*, Czech, FrenchC1, English | Message 11 of 23 22 April 2006 at 2:27pm | IP Logged | |||||
Take a look at this site. http://www.langue-fr.net/index/S/septante.htm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| M-Squared Senior Member United States Joined 7139 days ago 117 posts - 118 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Spanish | Message 12 of 23 22 April 2006 at 10:14pm | IP Logged | |||||
Do any other languages use an odd system like this? 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Eidolio Bilingual Octoglot Senior Member Belgium Joined 6861 days ago 159 posts - 164 votes 2 sounds Speaks: Dutch*, Flemish*, French, English, Latin, Ancient Greek, Italian, Greek | Message 13 of 23 23 April 2006 at 3:25am | IP Logged | |||||
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Latin counts septuaginta, octoginta, nonaginta.
Greek: (phonetic transcription): hebdomčkonta, ogdočkonta, enenčkonta. Gothic: sibuntehund, ahtautehund, niuntehund. Sanskrit: saptathihi, asheethihi, navathihi So I guess this is not an Indo-European way of counting. But Gaelic seems to have a similar way of counting: 60: trě fichead ("Three times twenty") 70: trě fichead is a deich ("three times twenty and ten") 80: ceithir fichead ("four times twenty"!) 90: ceithir fichead is a deich ("four times twenty and ten") (Gaelic numerals) So this supports the theory that the way of counting is Celtic. I also found this on a site about numerals: "The old Celtic numbering system was based on 20, and modern French still shows clear evidence of Latin-speakers having borrowed elements of this 20-based system in that Celtic part of the Roman empire" The system is called a "vigesimal" system ( Vigesimal system on wikipedia). It seems to be used in quite a lot of languages! Edited by Eidolio on 23 April 2006 at 3:26am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Alfonso Octoglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6861 days ago 511 posts - 536 votes Speaks: Biblical Hebrew, Spanish*, French, English, Tzotzil, Italian, Portuguese, Ancient Greek Studies: Nahuatl, Tzeltal, German | Message 14 of 23 24 April 2006 at 2:34pm | IP Logged | |||||
To answer this question I've decided to create a new thread Edited by Alfonso on 24 April 2006 at 3:31pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| yellowdesk Newbie United States Joined 6778 days ago 1 posts - 1 votes | Message 15 of 23 05 May 2006 at 10:26am | IP Logged | |||||
I believe a little historical research will likely show that the quatre-vingt method of counting was encouraged by the royal court scene, used socially to aid in distinguishing the nobility and educated from the commoner, and much less a carryover from a Germano/celtic tradition. This is how it can be that the Quebecois, and Swiss fracophone is found to be using the more decimal huitant method of counting. Distance from the court and Paris influence. Edited by yellowdesk on 05 May 2006 at 11:23am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Spin_Dr Diglot Newbie Canada Joined 6911 days ago 7 posts - 7 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Spanish | Message 16 of 23 07 May 2006 at 5:55pm | IP Logged | |||||
The problem with this is that people in Quebec use the "quatre-vingt" system, from my understanding. I'm from New Brunswick and have spent a good amount of time in Quebec. I had never even heard of the more logical "septante" system. IMHO, like most things in other languages, I don't think the "quatre-vingts" system is too difficult once you get used to it; it just starts to sound like "eighty" instead of "four twenties". Edited by Spin_Dr on 07 May 2006 at 5:55pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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