Miranei numbers

Miranei numbers

The elves of the Fifth Age counted in what we today would know as Base 8 or Octal. They had zero to seven and counted much more efficiently.

first set of numbers:

0 - de

1- oh

2 - io

3 - ora

4 - na

5 - ku

6 - as

7 - te

There is no 8 or 9. The next number after te (7) is dede'i (pronc. deh DEH EE) or 00. The next sequence uses de'i as a suffix so:

00 - dede'i           (decimal 8)

10 - ohde'i                         (9)

20- iode'i                          (10)

30 - orade'i                       (11)

40 - nade'i                        (12)

50 - kude'i                         (13)

60 - asde'i                         (14)

70 - tede'i                          (15)

the next set of numbers

01 - de'oh'i                         (16)

11- ohoh'i                           (17)

21 - io'oh'i                           (18)

31 - ora'oh'i                         (19)

41 - na'oh'i                          (20)

51 - ku'oh'i                          (21)

61 - asoh'i                           (22)

71 - te'oh'i                           (23)

It may seem like the numbers are all out of whack, but they make sense when you think about it. Essentially the numbers stream their sets from left to right, the opposite of how we stream our human decimal system.

This also makes sense as Miranei is written right to left.

Now here's the thing. You humans can count no higher than ten on your fingers without resorting to using your toes or flashing your fingers to indicated the next set of numbers. The elves of the fifth age could count up to the equivalent of our 23 with their base 8 number system with just their two hands.

Here's how it works:

Hold out your hands, palms out. Close your hands into fists. Now hold up the pinky, or smallest finger of your right hand. That's de, or zero. Now count across, holding up fingers, but keeping your thumbs closed. When you have all eight fingers up (thumbs still closed) you're at te, the elvish seven.

Now comes the tricky part.

Close your fists. Now stick out your thumb on your right hand . That's de'i (pronc. DEH EE), the next set of numbers. What we know as the 'teens'. Still holding out that right thumb, stick out your pinky, or smallest finger of your right hand (it should look like the Hawaiin 'hang loose'). That's dede'i (pronc. deh DEH EE) the elvish 00, or our 8.

Now count out your fingers, going across from right to left. When you get to te'de'i (pronc. teh DEH EE) the elvish 70, human 15, your right hand should be completely open, right hand thumb out, and the left hand holding up all four fingers, but the left thumb still closed.

Ah, you see what's coming...

The next set of numbers comes with both thumbs extended. This is oh'i (pronc. OH EE) With both thumbs extended hold up your right pinky, or smallest finger, that's de'oh'i (pronc. deh OH EE) their 01, our 16.

Count across, until all fingers and thumbs are extended and you arrive at te'oh'i (pronc. teh OH EE) their 71, our 23.

You can continue on flashing combinations of fingers and thumbs to show the next set of numbers, but really, if you're getting up to numbers that high, wouldn't a piece of paper be better than your fingers?

A couple of cultural things; holding up your right hand pinky, or smallest finger while someone is speaking is VERY rude, in essence saying they are zero, or saying nothing.

Holding out the left hand thumb, fingers closed, fist level, hand NOT turned up fonzie style, indicates eternity, and the best something can achieve.

io also means 'eternal' or 'eternity' in Miranei. 

So in Miranei, 'two' also means 'infinity'... those romantic elves...

  

cheers,

Kurt

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