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It could be worse. Norway has two counting systems Modern: 32 = "thirty-two" (similar to English) Old: 32 = "two-and-thirty" (similar to German) The modern s
by qw 7y ago
It could be worse. Norway has two counting systems
Modern: 32 = "thirty-two" (similar to English)
Old: 32 = "two-and-thirty" (similar to German)
The modern system was introduced by the government in the 50s as a requirement from the national phone operator.
This was before automatic switches were common, so users had to speak with an operator to patch to the correct destination. They insisted that the old counting method introduced too many errors. The government agreed and made a new law requiring schools to teach the new method.
- skykooler 7y agoEnglish used to use that "old" system, which it got from German (see "Sing a song of sixpence" - "four and twenty blackbirds"), but this mainly changed to the modern system around the time of Shakespeare.
- gpvos 7y agoIn Dutch we just spell out the phone numbers digit for digit without grouping them first. No need to change the language for that. The advantages in the article may be a good reason though.