From pycyn@aol.com Fri Sep 28 13:41:44 2001 Return-Path: X-Sender: Pycyn@aol.com X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_4_1); 28 Sep 2001 20:40:20 -0000 Received: (qmail 34884 invoked from network); 28 Sep 2001 20:40:19 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.142) by 10.1.1.221 with QMQP; 28 Sep 2001 20:40:19 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO imo-r07.mx.aol.com) (152.163.225.103) by mta3 with SMTP; 28 Sep 2001 20:41:42 -0000 Received: from Pycyn@aol.com by imo-r07.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v31_r1.7.) id r.8b.ce7a3ca (4571) for ; Fri, 28 Sep 2001 16:41:39 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <8b.ce7a3ca.28e63a83@aol.com> Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 16:41:39 EDT Subject: Re: [lojban] periodic hexadecimal reminder To: lojban@yahoogroups.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_8b.ce7a3ca.28e63a83_boundary" X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10535 From: pycyn@aol.com --part1_8b.ce7a3ca.28e63a83_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 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). --part1_8b.ce7a3ca.28e63a83_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 9/28/2001 3:10:11 PM Central Daylight Time, ragnarok@pobox.com writes:


Tell me a
culture that uses a base lower than 10 (as opposed to no base at all).


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). --part1_8b.ce7a3ca.28e63a83_boundary--