@robocall@lemmy.world to Antique Memes Roadshow@lemmy.world • 1 year agooneteenlemmy.worldimagemessage-square44arrow-up1405
arrow-up1405imageoneteenlemmy.world@robocall@lemmy.world to Antique Memes Roadshow@lemmy.world • 1 year agomessage-square44
minus-square@ImWaitingForRetcons@lemm.eelinkfedilink9•edit-21 year agoIt’s a holdover from an older base-12 counting system, one of many, many relics of the fact that English is an ever evolving language. Edit: it’s not a holdover from a different base, but a different way of counting. See comment below for details.
minus-square@MadBob@feddit.nllinkfedilink6•1 year agoNo, it supposedly derives from an old word for a leftover. Eleven is one left over after ten; twelve is two left over after ten. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/eleven_adj?tab=etymology#5639642
It’s a holdover from an older base-12 counting system, one of many, many relics of the fact that English is an ever evolving language.
Edit: it’s not a holdover from a different base, but a different way of counting. See comment below for details.
No, it supposedly derives from an old word for a leftover. Eleven is one left over after ten; twelve is two left over after ten. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/eleven_adj?tab=etymology#5639642