• VonReposti@feddit.dk
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    2 days ago

    The reason is that the Danish numbering system is based on a vigesimal (base-20) system instead of the decimal system. Why is a good question but it might have been influenced by French during a time where numbers from 50-100 is less frequently used, making them prone to complexity. The fractions simply occur since you need at least one half of twenty (10) to make the change from e.g 50 to 60 in a 20-based system.

    • VaalaVasaVarde@sopuli.xyz
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      2 days ago

      That’s the technical reason, another reason is that the Danes tried to out-French the French, as they were very hip at the time.

    • HorreC@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      why would you avoid the fraction and use it up to 100 then minus 8. I dont have a lot of an issue with it being base 20 but the idea that talking in numbers you have to know fractions for a child is WILD to me. You have to do like a month of understanding math fractions to get how to speak whole numbers.

      • VonReposti@feddit.dk
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        1 day ago

        We don’t really learn the reason, we just memorise the word for the number. Kinda like you know the word “dog” means a four legged cute creature, but not why the name is “dog”. The old rules are not something we are teached, I just got curious after a confused foreigner made me think about the system for a second :p