[lojban] Re: round numbers

["Jorge Llambías" <lojban-out@lojban.org>]

On 10/13/06, Pierre Abbat <phma@phma.optus.nu> wrote:
> There are two related meanings of "round numbers", neither of which has
> anything to do with round wheels:
> 1. Replace numbers with the closest multiples of some number.
> 2. Numbers whose prime factors are all small.
> How do you say this in Lojban?

It seems to me that {cukla namcu} is the best choice.
Even though these numbers are not round in the same way that
wheels are round, "round" is not just accidental homonymy here.
(I suppose the metaphor is something like the numbers are filled
out or their edges softened so that they become simpler.)
What are round numbers called in Chinese, or in Swahili, or in
Quechua, for example? If they all use the same word they use
for wheels, then it would seem Lojban should do that too. If not,
then there might be an argument for having a specialized term in
Lojban.

mu'o mi'e xorxes


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