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There is also a paper out claiming that elementary school students who learn math in English speaking countries lag behind those in, say, Chinese speaking count

There is also a paper out claiming that elementary school students who learn math in English speaking countries lag behind those in, say, Chinese speaking countries, because the numbering system in English is irregular. For example, 11 and 12 does not follow the construction of 13 or 15. Or the fact that two-digit numbers are composed differently from three-digit numbers. I don't know if this claim is true, but it certainly drives me crazy when I started learning English.

fit2rule 12y ago
>For example, 11 and 12 does not follow the construction of 13 or 15. Maybe its because I'm an English speaker, but I don't understand what you mean by this statement - can you explain it?
- ojanik 12y ago
  13 -> thirteen -> three ten 14 -> fourteen -> four ten 15 -> fifteen -> five ten whereas 11 -> eleven -> why not oneteen? 12 -> twelve -> why not twoteen?
  - ane 12y ago
    Germanic languages have a peculiarity in the words eleven and twelve, they stem from "one left" and "two left", respectively [0]. Cognates in German elf and zwölf, Swedish elv and tolv. [0] "Cardinal Numerals: Old English from a Cross-Linguistic Perspective", http://bit.ly/1HhPzOB http://bit.ly/1HhPzOB, page 161.
    - RBerenguel 12y ago
      Interesting. Worth noting Spanish, French, Catalan and probably some more connected languages I'm not so familiar with are irregular up to 16 (17 is akin to 10-7, whereas 11-16 follow other rules)
    - riffraff 12y ago
      left of what? (or from what?)
      - ane 12y ago
        Of ten. "One ... two ... [...] ten... and one and another.
      - fit2rule 12y ago
        Okay now I get it. Start counting on your left hand. 1 .. 5, left-side, 6 .. 10, right-side. One-left, is "one full set of fingers, plus a left", repeating again, 11. Two left, 12. 3-ten, you change to a number count, because .. why not? It is self-documented .. and thus easier to teach. Maybe?
  - saraid216 12y ago
    The reason, if anyone is wondering, is because of their base meanings: eleven -> one left twelve -> two left thirteen -> three and ten fourteen -> four and ten According to the OED, the only non-Germanic language that uses "one left" is Lithuanian, which uses it from 11 to 19.

fit2rule 12y ago

>For example, 11 and 12 does not follow the construction of 13 or 15. Maybe its because I'm an English speaker, but I don't understand what you mean by this statement - can you explain it?

ojanik 12y ago
13 -> thirteen -> three ten 14 -> fourteen -> four ten 15 -> fifteen -> five ten whereas 11 -> eleven -> why not oneteen? 12 -> twelve -> why not twoteen?
- ane 12y ago
  Germanic languages have a peculiarity in the words eleven and twelve, they stem from "one left" and "two left", respectively [0]. Cognates in German elf and zwölf, Swedish elv and tolv. [0] "Cardinal Numerals: Old English from a Cross-Linguistic Perspective", http://bit.ly/1HhPzOB http://bit.ly/1HhPzOB, page 161.
  - RBerenguel 12y ago
    Interesting. Worth noting Spanish, French, Catalan and probably some more connected languages I'm not so familiar with are irregular up to 16 (17 is akin to 10-7, whereas 11-16 follow other rules)
  - riffraff 12y ago
    left of what? (or from what?)
    - ane 12y ago
      Of ten. "One ... two ... [...] ten... and one and another.
    - fit2rule 12y ago
      Okay now I get it. Start counting on your left hand. 1 .. 5, left-side, 6 .. 10, right-side. One-left, is "one full set of fingers, plus a left", repeating again, 11. Two left, 12. 3-ten, you change to a number count, because .. why not? It is self-documented .. and thus easier to teach. Maybe?
- saraid216 12y ago
  The reason, if anyone is wondering, is because of their base meanings: eleven -> one left twelve -> two left thirteen -> three and ten fourteen -> four and ten According to the OED, the only non-Germanic language that uses "one left" is Lithuanian, which uses it from 11 to 19.