你知道为什么“11”在英文中不叫“ONETEEN”吗?
<p><span word="English">English</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="logical">logical</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span>. <span word="From">From</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span>-<span word="one">one</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ninety">ninety</span>-<span word="nine">nine</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="principle">principle</span> <span word="applies">applies</span>: <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tens">tens</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="followed">followed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="units">units</span> <span word="place">place</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="teens">teens</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="different">different</span>.</p><p>英文数字从某个数开始就相当符合逻辑。从21到29，运用的都是相同的理论:几十在前，后面跟着个位数字。但十几却并非如此。</p><p><span word="Eleven">Eleven</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Old">Old</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="endleofan">endleofan</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="twelf">twelf</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="traced">traced</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="ain">ain</span>+<span word="lif">lif</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="twa">twa</span>+<span word="lif">lif</span>.</p><p>11和12来自古英语<span word="endleofan">endleofan</span>和<span word="twelf">twelf</span>，可以追溯到俩数字还写作<span word="ain">ain</span>+<span word="lif">lif</span>和 <span word="twa">twa</span>+<span word="lif">lif</span>的时候。</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="why">why</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="threelif">threelif</span>, <span word="fourlif">fourlif</span>, <span word="fiflif">fiflif</span>, <span word="sixlif">sixlif</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="on">on</span>? <span word="The">The</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="systems">systems</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="history">history</span>.</p><p>于是，问题来了，我们为何没没有<span word="threelif">threelif</span>, <span word="fourlif">fourlif</span>, <span word="fiflif">fiflif</span>和<span word="sixlif">sixlif</span> 呢?答案和历史上数字体系的发展有关。</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="long">long</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="formed">formed</span>, <span word="most">most</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="distinguish">distinguish</span> <span word="numbers">numbers</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="ten">ten</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="languages">languages</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="primitive">primitive</span> <span word="cultures">cultures</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="one">one</span>, <span word="two">two</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="many">many</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="basic">basic</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ten">ten</span> <span word="formed">formed</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="extended">extended</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> –<span word="lif">lif</span> <span word="ending">ending</span>.</p><p>很久很久以前数字刚刚形成的时候，多数人并没有太多能耐去辨识十以上的数字。事实上，有些原始文化的语言里表示数字的词只有一、二和许多。于是乎，先有了到十的基本数字，然后稍稍拓展，以–<span word="lif">lif</span> 结尾。</p>
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