I think everyone would agree that roman numerals are a numbering system, right? What is the name for that kind of numbering system? I'm tempted to call it a purely additive system, but there may be another name. We sould expand this article so that numbering systems like the roman one are included in the definition (even if they aren't used any more).
I've seen it called a 'talley system', like other systems in which 'talley marks' are made to count or talley up a total. --
MichaelTinkler
Do you mean 'tally' in US spelling?
Someone wrote:
- N=12: Duodecimal? (used by the Romans in many places)
When did the Romans use duodecimal? --
Zundark
- The Romans used 12 especially when doing fraction calculation. I hope someone else can write more about this. Perhaps fractions should not be considered a full blown number system. In the Chepang language of Nepal, numbers are duodecimal. Perhaps it is a better quote then the Roman example. I'll change it.
- I see what you mean now: uncia / quincunx / septunx / deunx. But fractions don't really count as a number system, as you say. --Zundark
never heard of its use myself, Zundark. And yes, tally is easily mispelled. (blush) --
MichaelTinkler
I don't know who used it, but it is suggestive that we have a word for a dozen but not a word for thirteen.
Also, the number names "eleven" and "twelve" should really be "oneteen" and "twoteen" if base 10 had been in use consistently at the time. Whoever made the names for small numbers used a mixture of base 12 and base 10.
--
AxelBoldt
- Yes,eleven and twelve are trace of base 12 usage. Other traces of base 12 usages in human languages include dozen = 12 items, gross = 12 dozens, 1 shilling = 12 pences etc.
But the word "eleven" is related to the word "one", and similarly "twelve" is related to "two". This is not obvious in modern Germanic languages, but it's quite clear in Gothic "ainlif" and "twalif". So they are still decimal, but expressed in a different way. --
Zundark
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