|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347
enthusiast
|
enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347 |
I stand to be corrected, since numbers are just about the only words I know in that language, but I believe that Japanese has a very simple number system. Translated into English, it goes as follows:
1 to 10 - unique(*see below) words for each
11 - ten-one
12 - ten-two
13 - ten-three
...
20 - two-tens
21 - two-tens-one
22 - two-tens-two
...
31 - three-tens-one
...
99 - nine-tens-nine
100 - dunno! My grandfather only taught me to 99 (the number I mean, not his age!)
*Mind you, I understand that they then proceed to throw away all that simplicity by having different forms of each word (e.g. several different variations of the word for "four") depending on what is being enumerated.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
In reply to:
1 to 10 - unique(*see below) words for each
11 - ten-one
12 - ten-two
13 - ten-three
...
20 - two-tens
21 - two-tens-one
31 - three-tens-one
Apparently, the island of Taiwan is favoured as a likely point of origin for Polynesian peoples. I mention this because Maori uses exactly the same counting system as the one you listed - interesting, given Japan's proximity to Taiwan. Perhaps the similarity is not coincidental.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
If so, the proximity (not) of Wales to Taiwan may explain why the traditional Welsh numbering system included all sorts of seemingly random concoctions for say 22 being "2 times 7 plus half the number of sheep penned in the big field less 4". I'll research and tell you more anon.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
Indonesian is in the same language family (Austronesian) as Taiwanese and more distantly Maori, but its number system goes
1-9
one ten
one teen
two teen
three teen etc.
two ten
two ten one
two ten two
two ten three etc.
three ten.... four ten ... etc.
Somewhere I did see a comparison of some common words in Austronesian languages including Maori, but can I find it again? No, I can't.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
In reply to:
Somewhere I did see a comparison of some common words in Austronesian languages including Maori, but can I find it again?
Maori soldiers who served in Malaysia were apparently surprised at how many basic words were identical in the two languages. The only one that I can remember is wai, meaning "water"
P.S. I just got my grade for this post - a D!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 29
newbie
|
|
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 29 |
Whew, took me ages to get through the millions of posts since last Tuesday.
I must say, I find French numerals easy to use and cute at the same time. But what about German ones? I've heard 'four-and-twenty hours' for so many times (in English, of course) I'm beginning to wonder if it is not interchangeable with good old twenty-four...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 29
newbie
|
|
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 29 |
Just spotted what I had written: took me ages...since last Tuesday. I wish I could compress time just like that. Another four-and-twenty hours a day would be a blessing, sometimes. Provided, full-time job would still mean 8h a day  .
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3 |
Meanwhile in Taiwan
the numbers in the national language here -- Mandarin Chinese -- follow the same pattern as with Japanese, though only "2" varies, depending on whether it modifies something or stands alone.
Taiwanese, a legacy of settlers from south China, is related to Mandarin Chinese, which was brought over by north Chinese officials and their armies, but the aboriginal languages aren't. I don't know how counting works there.
As I understand it, though, neither the Chinese languages nor Taiwan's aboriginal languages are related to Japanese.
Taiwanese friends have often told me, with certain pride, that their language (in this case mandarin) has no grammar to speak of. Rubbish of course, but, with very few changes in verbs for person or tense, or in nouns either, it's far simpler than the European languages I'm aware of.
So perhaps the variability in our numbers, with -teens and -ties and soixante-treizes, is just another aspect of how fiddly our languages are. Is there a fiddliness constant for each language?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347
enthusiast
|
|
enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 347 |
Welcome salmon! Are you a cyclist too? And what is it about this board that attracts fish?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
>Is there a fiddliness constant for each language?
Hi salmon, welcome to the Board. Hang around for a while and you will see that there is no "fiddliness constant" we are constantly fiddling. Arbitrarily. Regardless of the language.
Hmm, two fish in our pond. Now we'll see if Shona is a loner or a grouper.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,333
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
651
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
