• @brsrklf@jlai.lu
        link
        fedilink
        English
        53 days ago

        Is that a French stereotype I am not aware of?

        Because, I’ve got a bit of experience in teaching math, and I wish most kids in that class could speak math naturally.

        • teft
          link
          fedilink
          English
          13
          edit-2
          3 days ago

          They count very weird. For example to say 87 in french you say four twenties seven (quatre vingt sept) 92 in french is four twenties twelve (quatre vingt douze).

            • teft
              link
              fedilink
              English
              63 days ago

              Oh my lord, that is even worse!

              • @TabbsTheBat@pawb.social
                link
                fedilink
                English
                63 days ago

                I lucked out living in a place with a completely logical numbering system thankfully :3… even english is slightly weird with 11 and 12 not following the -teen pattern (guessing a holdover for using dozens/base12)

                • enkers
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  3
                  edit-2
                  3 days ago

                  Eleven and twelve still do kinda follow base 10 rules. They literally mean “one left” (ain-lif) and “two left” (twa-lif) with the “over ten” being implied.

                  I’m not quite sure why we have different words for those two, though. Maybe when we added the 'teens, those two just sounded better than firsteen and seconteen?

          • @brsrklf@jlai.lu
            link
            fedilink
            English
            33 days ago

            Oh, it’s about that. It’s just leftover from an old base 20 counting system really. Kind of like how time is still using base 60 (though it’s kinda convenient for dividing), stuff like that.

            Really, English is not completely safe from that. Ask yourself why eleven to nineteen instead of, you know, ten-one, ten-two…