Sunday, May 12, 2013

Four Twenties and Thirteen

the french numbering system is silly

9 comments:

  1. and the french speaking suisses i guess

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  2. "Thank the Belgians." Yes, a phrase quite often heard in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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  3. Four score and thirteen. Was it in use by the time of King James or what?

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  4. In belgium it is septante (70), octante (80), nonante (90), and in switzerland it is (depending on the region but basically) the same but with huitante for 80 instead

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    1. I loved this about Belgium! From what I remember, only the Suisse say huitante/octante.

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    2. Yeah, Belgium uses quatre-vingt. Geneva also uses the French system, while the rest of Romandy uses septante/huitante/nonante.

      I don't think octante has ever been used by anyone (at least in modern times) except people who edit wiktionary. I live in Switzerland and have asked French speakers in Luxembourg, Belgium, all over Switzerland, and no one has ever admitted to hearing "octante" used.

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