Let’s talk numbers. Not so much maths, but how different languages count\u2014because some counting systems are super straightforward, and others make you perform mental gymnastics. If you’ve ever learned French, you know exactly what I mean.<\/p>\n\n
French starts off simple enough. From 1 to 69, the counting system is logical:<\/p>\n\n
You form numbers by stacking them together. For example:<\/p>\n\n
So far, so good.<\/p>\n\n
Once you hit 70, French decides to ditch the neat pattern. Instead of creating a new word like septante<\/em> (which is used in Belgium and Switzerland), France’s official French uses:<\/p>\n\n It’s almost as if French said, “We’re done creating new numbers\u2014figure it out yourself.”<\/p>\n\n French takes it even further:<\/p>\n\n Basically, French switches from base-10 logic to base-20 (or vigesimal<\/em>), a relic of old counting systems used in parts of Europe centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n French numbers reflect layers of linguistic and cultural history:<\/p>\n\n France, however, stuck with tradition, forcing students everywhere to deal with the complexity.<\/p>\n\n Not at all. Other languages also use base-20:<\/p>\n\n French just happens to be one of the only major global languages where this old system remains standard.<\/p>\n\n French numbers mix math, history, and stubborn tradition. If you’ve ever caught yourself baffled while trying to count beyond 69, now you know why\u2014it\u2019s not your fault, it\u2019s French.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let’s talk numbers. Not so much maths, but how different languages count\u2014because some counting systems are super straightforward, and others make you perform mental gymnastics. If you’ve ever learned French, you know exactly what I mean. The Basics: 1 to 69 Is Smooth Sailing French starts off simple enough. From 1 to 69, the counting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-french","tag-trending"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n
And Then 80 Throws Logic Out the Window<\/h3>\n\n
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Why So Complicated?<\/h3>\n\n
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Is It Just French?<\/h3>\n\n
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Final Thought<\/h3>\n\n