General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hypothetically, if you had to live in any other country, where would you go and why? [View all]DFW
(59,662 posts)Danish makes the French number system seem streamlined.
In French (except in Belgium and Switzerland, who have broken free of French academic rigidity), 70-99 goes:
sixty-ten, sixty-and-eleven, sixty-twelve (etc. etc.), sixty nineteen (we're at 79 now), four twenties, four twenties one, four twenties two, (etc. etc.), four twenties nine, four twenties ten, four twenties eleven, four twenties twelve, etc. etc. four twenties nineteen (we're now at 99), one hundred.
Think THAT'S bad?
Here's Danish:
50-99 goes like this:
half off of three twenties, one and half (half a twenty, that is) off of three twenties (still with me? this is 51), two and half off of three twenties, three and half off of three twenties, (etc. etc.), nine and half off of three twenties, three twenties (now we're at 60). One and three twenties, two and three twenties, (etc. etc.) nine and three twenties, half off of four twenties (now we're at 70), one and half off of four twenties, two and half off of four twenties (still with me? we're at 72), nine and half off of four twenties, four twenties (hey, it worked for the French), one and four twenties, two and four twenties (etc. etc.), nine and four twenties, half off of five twenties (OK, they don't have to do EVERYTHING like the French), one and half off of five twenties, two and half off of five twenties (we're now at 92), etc. etc. nine and half off of five twenties (Danish: ni og halvfems), one hundred.
No wonder Denmark is less burdened than Sweden with third world immigration. Once any self-respecting immigrant tries to assimilate, and is presented with the Danish number system, most people would flee in terror to the nearest border, and hope the next country, whichever it is, has a number system that DOESN'T sound like it is an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland.
"Welcome to Denmark, Mr. Biannajee, We can offer you a ticket for local public transportation worth seven and half off five twenties kroner a week, a food voucher worth eight hundred eight and half off of four twenties kroner per month, and a cell phone on which you can call home for two hundred four and half off three twenties kroner per month. What's that? What do you mean, you didn't understand? Which part was unclear?"