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Re: Even *MORE* Scandinavia...

Henriette Frans
SubjectRe: Even *MORE* Scandinavian linguistics; was: Republicanism still an offence in England?
FromHenriette Frans
Date2002-05-15 23:24 (2002-05-15 23:24)
Message-ID<3CE2D1CE.BAE4F36C@chello.nl>
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Newsgroupsalt.fan.tolkien
FollowsRaven

Raven wrote:

Raven
In Norway we use both systems. The "five-and-twenty" one is oldest. The Danish system has the tens over forty as multiples and half-number-multiples of "snes", which means "score", that is "twenty". We have a somewhat convoluted way to say "something and a half" in Scandinavia. One and a half is "half-second", two and a half is "half-third" and so on. Only "half-second" is in regular use now. But Danish 50 is "halvtreds", from "halvtredie snes", meaning "half-third score", which again means two and a half score. Danish 60 is "tres", which means "tre snes", or three score. And so on up to ninety, "halvfems".

And then I think that five-and-twenty is confusing........:-) Thanks for the addendum, Raaf.

Henriette