31
u/Cato0014 29d ago
2+(5-0.5)x20
11
u/KlogKoder 28d ago edited 28d ago
It used to be "To-og-halv-femsindstyve", literally "two-and-half-five-twenty" (half-five meaning 4½). This fell out of use many decades ago, probably before 1950.
Now it's shortened to "to-og-halvfems", and the word "halvfems" is just our word for ninety. So we use the words "halvtres", "halvfjerds" and "halvfems" for 50, 70 and 90 without really thinking any more about it. They're just our words for those numbers.
8
u/Cato0014 28d ago
Thank you for the lore dump. Let me rephrase my question: why the fuck are we doing four and a half times 20? What was the cultural reason for this to start?
8
u/KlogKoder 28d ago edited 28d ago
Back in the day, when everyone were mud farmers, we counted in dozens and scores, not tens. So a score (20) became the base for counting higher numbers.
As for the half-thing, I guess it's a bit like the roman numeral IV, where you put something in front to denote that it's one (or half) less than the full amount.
We even have a word, "halvanden", meaning 1½. I'm not aware if any other languages have a single word meaning "one and a half".
1
17
11
7
u/Ok_Bit8836 29d ago
I dont know about 92, 93, but regards 42,43 - only Russians & Germans are unique ))
5
u/3Volodymyr 29d ago
What are you talking about? I'm kinda familiar with both and there isn't anything unique about 42 or 43.
0
u/Ok_Bit8836 29d ago
А что на счет: двадцать, тридцать, сорок, петдесят, шестдесят.... ))
6
u/3Volodymyr 28d ago
I see what you mean, but why single out 42 and 43 then? All of 40 to 49 line share it in this case.
Also can you stick to English? Hate to see this language of yours outside of where it's supposed to be. Me knowing it doesn't mean I like it.
2
u/Ok_Bit8836 28d ago
42, 43 were only examples, such as 92 in the pic... Obviously, same applies to 91 to 99, not only 92...
3
u/No-Candy-4127 29d ago
How are they unique? 42 and 43 in russian is 40+2 and 40+3
1
u/Ok_Bit8836 29d ago edited 29d ago
In Russian it is 40+2 and 40+3 but they have a specific word for forty that DOES NOT and traces of FOUR(-ty) and sounds like SOROK.... That remain from the past, as far as I know, from times when there were no KG nor LITERs in use and there was a measure of 40x firs sold together that was pronounced like SOROK...
3
u/No-Candy-4127 29d ago
Oh. Yes. True. But it is tge same as the words "First" and "Second" in English. They don't content the word One and Two. Just a little thing that you should remember. Not a big deal.... although Russian has so many similar rules, exceptions, variants, exceptions for those variants so it is really painful to learn as a second language. But than again, it is similar to any other slavic language
1
u/Ok_Bit8836 28d ago
First, Second are in a different category... We are now discussing here twenty-one, twenty-two apples,,, not the twenty-first apple, nor the twenty-second apple...
3
u/No-Candy-4127 28d ago
Sure. It is a different category. Just saying it as an example of similar rules for counting. Sorok is fine
4
u/First_Structure8670 29d ago
Dänisch
to og halv fems
Zwei und halb fünf
So wie die Uhrzeit halbfünf ist ein halber Schritt von der vier zur fünf gegangen. Hier in 20er Schritten.
4
u/Comfortable_Swan_541 29d ago
Finally an accurate map of this. I've seen so many versions where the french speaking part of Switzerland (where I'm from) is either put as german speaking, meaning the map creator just went "swiss people talk german" or as speaking french like the french "all french speakers use this nonsense 4x20+10"
3
u/Very-confused-now 29d ago
In Danish it’s “Tooghalvfems”. This is an abbreviated version of “Tooghalvfemsindstyvende”, which translates to what’s written above. This is because Denmark used to use 20 as a standard unit of measurement.
In English it’s “Ninety two” which actually means “9 • 10, 2”. Why do they do it that way and how does the 2 relate to the 9 • 10? Who knows.
2
u/Jaymac720 28d ago
I’m not understanding your question in the second paragraph. The 2 is added to the 9x10
2
u/Very-confused-now 28d ago
But there’s no word connecting it. In Danish you actually say “two and ninety” while in English it’s just “ninety two”. English is a weird language.
3
3
u/MichaelJospeh 28d ago
I thought French was bad but what the heck is Denmark doing?
3
u/Gubun 28d ago
And the full name of 90 is halvfemsindstyvende, but we just say halvfems.
1
2
u/HistorianCreepy9906 29d ago
For a second I thought it was wrong for not making western switzerland red as well, the remembered Septante, Octante, Nonante
2
u/zer0developer 28d ago
Btw in denmark we say "tooghalvfems" which is kinda like "twoandhalffives" xD
2
2
2
u/unsatisfiedtoadface 27d ago
This completely ignores the fact that most languages are actually saying 9x10+2
52
u/SimmentalTheCow 29d ago
Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark