The Number Concept: Its Origin and DevelopmentConant, Levi L. (Levi Leonard)
History
The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development
Conant, Levi L. (Levi Leonard)
Number concept
oney saltee 1d. uno soldo.
dooe saltee 2d. due soldi.
tray saltee 3d. tre soldi.
quarterer saltee 4d. quattro soldi.
chinker saltee 5d. cinque soldi.
say saltee 6d. sei soldi.
say oney saltee, or setter saltee 7d. sette soldi.
say dooe saltee, or otter saltee 8d. otto soldi.
say tray saltee, or nobba saltee 9d. nove soldi.
say quarterer saltee, or dacha saltee 10d. dieci soldi.
say chinker saltee or dacha oney saltee 11d. undici soldi.
oney beong 1s.
a beong say saltee 1s. 6d.
dooe beong say saltee, or madza caroon 2s. 6d. (half-crown, mezza
corona).
One of these series simply adopts Italian numerals decimally. But the
other, when it has reached 6, having had enough of novelty, makes 7 by 6-1,
and so forth. It is for no abstract reason that 6 is thus made the
turning-point, but simply because the costermonger is adding pence up to
the silver sixpence, and then adding pence again up to the shilling. Thus
our duodecimal coinage has led to the practice of counting by sixes, and
produced a philological curiosity, a real senary notation."
In addition to the two methods of counting here alluded to, another may be
mentioned, which is equally instructive as showing how readily any special
method of reckoning may be developed out of the needs arising in connection
with any special line of work. As is well known, it is the custom in ocean,
lake, and river navigation to measure soundings by the fathom. On the
Mississippi River, where constant vigilance is needed because of the rapid
shifting of sand-bars, a special sounding nomenclature has come into
vogue,[219] which the following terms will illustrate:
5 ft. = five feet.
6 ft. = six feet.
9 ft. = nine feet.
10-1/2 ft. = a quarter less twain; _i.e._ a quarter of a fathom less than 2.
12 ft. = mark twain.
13-1/2 ft. = a quarter twain.
16-1/2 ft. = a quarter less three.
18 ft. = mark three.
19-1/2 ft. = a quarter three.
24 ft. = deep four.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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