RE: Brands' interesting essay "Nothing to brag about: The invention of zero," I just now reread it.
Brands correctly points out that all languages seem to have some logic in their counting systems. However, I'm reminded of my Russian classes at UT ages ago and how the Russian word for "40" was "сорок," which doesn't follow the rule. The dictionary says "Inherited from Old East Slavic сорокъ (sorokŭ, “a bunch of 40 sable pelts; forty”). Another interesting word (and I'm showing my age again) is the archaic (in this context) word "bit": a unit of 12 1/2 cents. I still remember people saying things like "can I borrow two bits from you?" It's still used (what linguisits call a "fossilized form") in the cheerlead: "Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar! All for [fill in name of team], stand up and holler!"
Although I have a Ph.D. from a great school (UT Austin), believe it or not, I last had a math course in the 10th grade. When I was a BA student at UT Austin in the 60s (back then, you just said "UT," not "UT Austin, UT San Antonio, UT El Paso," etc.), liberal arts majors could get out of required math by taking Greek or Latin - I chose Greek. Brands' latest posting is fascinating.
Typo: "linguisits" should be "linguists."
RE: Brands' interesting essay "Nothing to brag about: The invention of zero," I just now reread it.
Brands correctly points out that all languages seem to have some logic in their counting systems. However, I'm reminded of my Russian classes at UT ages ago and how the Russian word for "40" was "сорок," which doesn't follow the rule. The dictionary says "Inherited from Old East Slavic сорокъ (sorokŭ, “a bunch of 40 sable pelts; forty”). Another interesting word (and I'm showing my age again) is the archaic (in this context) word "bit": a unit of 12 1/2 cents. I still remember people saying things like "can I borrow two bits from you?" It's still used (what linguisits call a "fossilized form") in the cheerlead: "Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar! All for [fill in name of team], stand up and holler!"
I like numbers that don't move like 1492, 1776 and 1945.
-0-
[It also allows us to say something without saying anything.]
Although I have a Ph.D. from a great school (UT Austin), believe it or not, I last had a math course in the 10th grade. When I was a BA student at UT Austin in the 60s (back then, you just said "UT," not "UT Austin, UT San Antonio, UT El Paso," etc.), liberal arts majors could get out of required math by taking Greek or Latin - I chose Greek. Brands' latest posting is fascinating.