Below are the transliterated names for Georgian numbers:
1 erti 2 ori 3 sami 4 otkhi 5 khuti
6 ekvsi 7 shvidi 8 rva 9 tskhra
10 ati 20 otsi 30 otsdaati 40 ormotsi
6 ekvsi 7 shvidi 8 rva 9 tskhra
10 ati 20 otsi 30 otsdaati 40 ormotsi
50 ormotsdaati
60 samotsi
70 samotsdaati
80 otkhmotsi
90 otkhmotsdaati
The Georgian alphabet was once used as a numbering system as well (each letter has a corresponding number). The numbers associated with the letters are shown in the chart below:
Can anyone find the discrepancy between the names of the numbers and the way they were written? The winner will receive some leftover Georgian coins we have.
I don't know about your little contest, but I do think it's interesting that their numbers seem to work on a system of scores. Like, the number 3 is "sami" but the number 60 is "samotsi," as in 3 scores. Danish numbers work the same way.
ReplyDelete(This is Emily, by the way!)
I think you are the winner, then. The difference is that the names for the numbers (the words) are on a base 20 system (numbers are represented as an order of 20), and the numbering system is base 10. If the numerals were also base 20, you would expect the second row to run 20, 40, 60, etc., instead of 20, 30, 40....
ReplyDeleteHowever, even for the words, 200 is not a unique value, whereas 100 is, and numbers are not strictly based on scores, but instead scores and tens -- 55 is represented as 2 scores + 1 ten + five, rather than 2 scores +15.
Woo! I win! I expect those coins to be delivered in person. Do you have any small bills left over? I need them for an art project.
ReplyDeleteNo! No, there are no small bills. I'm going to smack you so hard next time i see you!
ReplyDelete