In a message dated 9/28/2001 3:10:11 PM Central Daylight Time, ragnarok@pobox.com writes:
Tell me a Now, I am not sure. As late as the end of the 19th century, however, some Eskimo tribes (more precise details not available) were still using base 3. Indo-Europeans quite clearly once used base 8 and very probably base 4 before that. The claim they used base 3 is metaphysical rather than etymological, as is the claim that Egyptians used base 9. I pass over jokes about Hungarians (or Rumanians, depending on which side of the line you lie). |