this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2024
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Funny: Home of the Haha

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Dane here. We don't use half-third to say 2½ except for the time of day, like half-twelve is 11:30.

The way we count is indeed that way though: halvfems is short for halvfemsindstyve, literally half-five-times-twenty, meaning ½5×20 = 4.5×20 = 90.

We don't use "fems" tough. That would mean femsindstyve which is 5*20 and we say a hundred of course.

So we have this:

  • 10 = ti = ten
  • 20 = tyve = twenty.
  • 30 = tredive = thirty.
  • 40 = fyrre = forty.
  • 50 = halvtreds = short for half-three-times-twenty.
  • 60 = treds = short for three times twenty.
  • 70 = halvfjerds = short for half four times twenty.
  • 80 = firs = short for four times twenty.
  • 90 = halvfems = short for half five times twenty.
  • 97 syvoghalvfems = seven and half five times twenty.
  • 100 = et hundrede = One hundred.
[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

There is a relic from this system still in use: halvanden (1 and a half). Though I doubt many people know the origin of the word.