• PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    English is 90 + 2. Ninety is its own distinct word.

    French is similar to English (base ten) but after 60 it gets weird and then at 80 switches to base 20 until 99.

    70 in French is 60 + 10 80 and above in French is 4 × 20 + what ever number is needed to get there.

      • wkk@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        102 is “hundred-two” so it’s only weird for 70 “sixty-ten”, 80 “four-twenty” and 90 “four-twenty-ten”…

        But the way I learned it each was like it’s own word, even if it’s not. Just don’t think about it too much!

          • zerofk@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            They do, but they’re only used in some regions. Septante, huitante, nonante.

              • zerofk@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                I honestly don’t know the history. I just know that Belgian French uses septante and nonante, Swiss French uses huitante as well. I think it’s more comparable to the vocabulary differences between for example American and British English.

      • Firipu@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        Nobody says huitante in Belgium.

        It’s 60, 70, 4*20, 90.

        edit: Downvote all you want. If you say huitante in Belgium, everyone will know you’re not from Belgium.

        Belgians say Soixante, Septante, Quatre-vingt, Nonante. Even in the dutch language part, that’s how they learn french.

        If you say Soixante-dix or Quatre-vingt-dix, everyone will know you’re french and not Belgian. Pretty simple…

    • Sigmatics@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Seriously, french counting from 20 to 99 is fucked up seven ways sideways… what were they thinking