----- Original Message -----
From: "Nokta Kanto" <red5_2@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 9:37 AM
Subject: Harpelan number system
> *delurks*
>
> The number system postings have prompted me to post my own. Harpelan
writers
> count in a unique way. They count up until they're halfway there, and then
> they turn around and count down until they arrive. They use a base 12
> system, but their way of counting only needs symbols to represent the
> numbers zero through six. There are 13 digits in total. (There is also a
> special character for number 7.)
>
> BTW, there are meanings and connotations associated with the first 8
> numbers. Why amn't I ever this creative before midnight?
>
> 1: The Source
> 2: The Pair
> 3: The Fulcrum, The Thumb
> 4: The Edifice (Permanence and Sturdiness)
> 5: The Door
> 6: The Flower (Order and Symmetry)
> 7: Chaos
> 8: The Whole, The Universe (8=1+7)
>
> I will write the digits as 0, 1-, 1+, 2- ...etc.., 5-, 5+, 6-, 6+
>
> Counting from 12 to 24 goes like this:
> 1+ 0
> 1+ 1+
> 1+ 2+
> 1+ 3+
> 1+ 4+
> 1+ 5+
> 1+ 6+
> 2- 5+
> 2- 4+
> 2- 3+
> 2- 2+
> 2- 1+
> 2+ 0
>
> The 1+ digit indicates that progress is relative to 10 (base 12). When it
> gets to 2-, counting switches to track progress relative to 20 (base 12).
A
> writer of Harpelan would find it just a little bit odd using our system
when
> transitioning from 199 to 200: it would feel like a huge leap, because
> anything starting with one-hundred would feel closer to one-hundred than
> two-hundred.
>
> Once you reach seventy-three, counting goes by subtracting from 144 (base
10):
>
> 69: 6- 3+
> 70: 6- 2+
> 71: 6- 1+
> 72: 6+ 0
> 73: 1- 6- 1+ (That's 144 - (72 - 1) = 73)
> 74: 1- 6- 2+
> 75: 1- 6- 3+
>
> The number system also distinguishes between cardinals and ordinals:
> Cardinals always use augmented (+) digits for the final digit, while
> ordinals use diminished (-) digits. (Ordinals for computers are written
with
> an augmented digit, though; this acknowledges the off-by-one problem.
Array
> element 5 is 5+, although it is actually the sixth (6-) element.) I'm
still
> trying to work out how to do arithmetic in this number system.
>
> So, is anyone willing to write 2003 in this system?
Quite easy!
1+ 2- 1+ 1+
--
Jean-François Colson
jfcolson (a) belgacom.net
>
> ----
> "Everyone's different, except me." --Noktakanto
>