# Is this math or english? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 26, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986 "2002-12-26T17:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/1 "2002-12-26T17:21:19Z")
If, one three = thriteen one four = fourteen… and so on… why is’nt one two = twoteen? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/2 "2002-12-26T17:23:22Z")
If the english language had any logic at all, not only would one two be twoteen, but one three would be threeteen, not thirteen. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/3 "2002-12-26T17:30:09Z")
It’s English. And French. And Spanish. And Vietnamese. And so on. In quite a few languages, the names of cardinal numbers are not perfectly preserved as counting progresses from ones to tens to hundreds, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/4 "2002-12-26T18:17:45Z")
But in Chinese, names of cardinal numbers are perfectly preserved. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/5 "2002-12-26T18:43:15Z")
_whew!_ ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/6 "2002-12-26T18:57:33Z")
Add the letters of twelve and one together, take away the letters of eleven, what’d ya get? ---
**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/7 "2002-12-26T19:05:04Z")
In Hindi, its something like one three = thirteen, one four = fourteen as well, similarly as in English, even in Hindi, one two would not be twoteen. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/8 "2002-12-26T19:06:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twelfthsign \* > \*\*If, > one three = thriteen > one four = fourteen… and so on… > > why is’nt one two = twoteen? \*\* * * * Check out the spelling of thirteen above. Intentional? ---
**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/9 "2002-12-26T19:06:49Z")
just to add onto that, Hindi is derived from Sanskrit, and Sanskrit is known to be the worlds oldest language (or one of perhaps), so is that where the number/lingo complexity issue commenced? ---
**Author:** ![twelfthsign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@twelfthsign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twelfthsign)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/10 "2002-12-26T19:09:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by whuckfistle \* > > * * * > > Check out the spelling of thirteen above. > Intentional? \*\* Ooops! :o Nah that was’nt intentional. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/11 "2002-12-26T20:08:44Z")
What I want to know is why the French, to say 92, say four twenties and twelve. I mean, that’s just so complicated. wouldn’t it be easier to say ten nines minus seven? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/12 "2002-12-26T20:19:16Z")
Because last time I checked, ten nines minus seven equals **83**. Not 92. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-math-or-english/144986/13 "2002-12-26T20:20:23Z")
Oops. Forgot to close my [/smartass] tag.