Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

Answer 1

Perhaps the switch from eleven and twelve (like onze and douze in French) to thirteen, fourteen (three and ten, four and ten etc (where the French carry on with treize quatorze, quinze etc) is to do with the English system of twelve pennies in the shilling (till 1971 and decimalisation) and a desire to count cash in an unambiguous-sounding way,

"One and ten" as an answer to the question "How much does this cost?" was understrood as "one shilling and ten pence" and "two and ten" similarly regarded as "two shillings and ten pence" and to have numbers called oneteen and twoteen might have been confusing?

Pure speculation of course.

The French system (based on our having 20 fingers and toes) might seem wierd but have you tried counting in the Babylonian sexagesimal system (base 60) ?

Answer 2

LOL! That's a good question. BTW: do you learn math with Math-U-See? Steve Demme calls 11 "onety-one."

But if you think that's weird, you should try the French counting system! Seventy-six is actually translated as "sixty sixteen" and 99 is actually "four twenties nineteen." Crazy, huh? Me? I'll just accept our "elevens" and "twelves" and be grateful we don't speak French as our national (USA) language.

Answer 3

Because our ancestors created numbers for 1-12. They selected 12 becaue it is easily divisible by 1,2,3,4.
(dozen, 12 months in a year)

(60 - which is divisible by 1,2,3,4,5,6 - also plays important role in our life, 60 seconds, 60 minutes in a degree, 60 years in Hindu mythology)

We follow decimal system (1,2,3...,10) because we have 10 fingers. Some (French) follow (1,2,3,...20) bcos we have 20 fingers (hands + toes)

Coming back, so they created different names for these 12 numbers. After this instead of creating new names, they reused the existing names - During this period they followed decimal system.

12 - Twelve
13 - Thirteen (3 + 10) (instead of dozen one)
14 - Fourteen (instead of dozen two)

Answer 4

You are right.In Greek the mother of western languages 11 is
Endeka meaning oneten

Answer 5

because 12 is not pronouced as "onety two"

Answer 6

Its derived from the old english word endleofan which means one left, after ten.

Answer 7

because we cleverly found names for the first 20 numbers that we 'discovered' before realising that there were too many numbers to find unique names for all of em.

hence, twenty one, twenty two, twenty three....

Answer 8

That's because "onety one" sounds so stupid....

Answer 9

Because the English language is retarded.

Answer 10

because what one and one can make none of the other pairs can?

GOT IT!!!!