The Number Concept - Its Origin and Development by Levi Leonard Conant
page 35 of 286 (12%)
page 35 of 286 (12%)
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but not formed in the same manner as the numerals above that point. Almost
all civilized languages, however, except the Teutonic, and practically all uncivilized languages, begin their direct numeral combinations as soon as they have passed their number base, whatever that may be. To give an illustration, selected quite at random from among the barbarous tribes of Africa, the Ki-Swahili numeral scale runs as follows:[53] 1. moyyi, 2. mbiri, 3. tato, 4. ena, 5. tano, 6. seta, 7. saba, 8. nani, 9. kenda, 10. kumi, 11. kumi na moyyi, 12. kumi na mbiri, 13. kumi na tato, etc. The words for 11, 12, and 13, are seen at a glance to signify ten-and-one, ten-and-two, ten-and-three, and the count proceeds, as might be inferred, in a similar manner as far as the number system extends. Our English combinations are a little closer than these, and the combinations found in certain other languages are, in turn, closer than those of the English; as witness the _once_, 11, _doce_, 12, _trece_, 13, etc., of Spanish. But the process is essentially the same, and the law may be accepted as practically invariable, that all numerals greater than the base of a system are |
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