A Note on Language and Numbers
The world of Vernelis, as it is viewed through these articles, is through the lens of the Faelen, and thus, any significant aspects that stretch across all ethnicities and cultures of their race.
Ferisian has 28 letters of its alphabet, comprised of English analogs we are familiar with, but with 2 extras that serve the function of specific sounds:
I could not understand this stupid thing, it was the third one that I had seen thus far.
...becomes:
I could not understand þis stupid þing, it was the þird one þat I had seen þus far.
The uppercase of "Þro" is 'Þ', and its lowercase is 'þ'.
The letter "Ash", however, is quite a bit rarer and not as impactful as "Þro", and in the context of Ferisian, it replaces any place where the letter 'a' would be followed by 'e'. For example:
Faelen
...becomes:
Fælen
The uppercase of "Ash" is 'Æ', and its lowercase is 'æ'.
The standard system of counting on Vernelis is quite different to the counting we are used to. The most significant difference is that a base-12 system is used, rather than our standard base-10. This means that rather than ten symbols used to count (0-9), there are twelve.
This is called duodecimal counting, though some affectionately call it the "dozenal system". The symbols used in dozenal are the same until you reach what we would call ten. In dozenal, the number "ten" becomes "dek", represented by a 'δ' symbol, and "eleven" becomes "el", represented by a 'Ɛ' symbol.
So that 10 symbol? The combination of 1 and 0 becomes a new representative of the base-10 number twelve, called "do" (pronounced 'doe').
So, rather than counting as such:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
We instead count with the extra two symbols before requiring a repetition of digits:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, δ (dek), Ɛ (el), 10 (do)
What is the benefit of this? In complex mathematics, there really is none! You can do trigonometry and integral calculus with only cosmetic difference in base-12, but the real change is noticable in less serious, everyday life.
Consider ten over three, the fraction 10 / 3. In decimal, it represents a division of 10 (ten) into 3 equal parts, which you may know is equal to 3.333333333333...
Quite an ugly result that is! It's an irrational, recurring decimal number, just to describe a third of something.
But in dozenal? Take 10 (that is twelve now, remember) and divide it by 3. You may notice that 10 / 3 suddenly equals 4!
How nice is that? It doesn't stop there either.
Consider a half of ten. 10 / 2 = 5 , of course.
A half works just as nicely in dozenal. 10 / 2 = 6 (because a half of twelve is six).
This is because of the sheer number of factors twelve has. You can divide it by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and itself and get nice whole numbers, as opposed to ten, which can only be nicely divided by 1, 2, 5 and itself.
So in dozenal, 1 / 2 = 6 / 10 = 0.6, and 1 / 3 = 4 / 10 = 0.4, and 1 / 4 = 3 / 10 = 0.3, and 1 / 6 = 2 / 10 = 0.2.
These are much nicer decimals (dozemals?) to work with!
For another introduction to dozenal, consider Numberphile's video on the subject.
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19...
Once you reach 19 (do-nine), you do as you did before and use those new symbols:
...1δ, 1Ɛ 20
This goes on and on, until you reach ƐƐ (el-do el), and after that is 100. Just like in decimal, 10x10=100, though remember that 10 here represents 12 in decimal, so in decimal, it would be 12x12=144.
Got that? In other words: 12 in decimal is 10 (do) in dozenal, and 144 in decimal is 100 in dozenal. But what do we call 100 in dozenal? Well, 144 in decimal is considered a "gross", so why don't we call it one "gro" for now.
Language
In particular, the language used by the majority of Faelen countries and even other races, is called Ferisian, which directly means "Furry Tongue". This language has its own writing and its own quirks and names for letters, though they can easily be represented in English.Ferisian has 28 letters of its alphabet, comprised of English analogs we are familiar with, but with 2 extras that serve the function of specific sounds:
- Þ - Named "Þro"
- æ - Named "Ash"
I could not understand this stupid thing, it was the third one that I had seen thus far.
...becomes:
I could not understand þis stupid þing, it was the þird one þat I had seen þus far.
The uppercase of "Þro" is 'Þ', and its lowercase is 'þ'.
The letter "Ash", however, is quite a bit rarer and not as impactful as "Þro", and in the context of Ferisian, it replaces any place where the letter 'a' would be followed by 'e'. For example:
Faelen
...becomes:
Fælen
The uppercase of "Ash" is 'Æ', and its lowercase is 'æ'.
Numbers
The Dozenal System
Hope you're ready for some maths!The standard system of counting on Vernelis is quite different to the counting we are used to. The most significant difference is that a base-12 system is used, rather than our standard base-10. This means that rather than ten symbols used to count (0-9), there are twelve.
This is called duodecimal counting, though some affectionately call it the "dozenal system". The symbols used in dozenal are the same until you reach what we would call ten. In dozenal, the number "ten" becomes "dek", represented by a 'δ' symbol, and "eleven" becomes "el", represented by a 'Ɛ' symbol.
So that 10 symbol? The combination of 1 and 0 becomes a new representative of the base-10 number twelve, called "do" (pronounced 'doe').
So, rather than counting as such:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
We instead count with the extra two symbols before requiring a repetition of digits:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, δ (dek), Ɛ (el), 10 (do)
What is the benefit of this? In complex mathematics, there really is none! You can do trigonometry and integral calculus with only cosmetic difference in base-12, but the real change is noticable in less serious, everyday life.
Consider ten over three, the fraction 10 / 3. In decimal, it represents a division of 10 (ten) into 3 equal parts, which you may know is equal to 3.333333333333...
Quite an ugly result that is! It's an irrational, recurring decimal number, just to describe a third of something.
But in dozenal? Take 10 (that is twelve now, remember) and divide it by 3. You may notice that 10 / 3 suddenly equals 4!
How nice is that? It doesn't stop there either.
Consider a half of ten. 10 / 2 = 5 , of course.
A half works just as nicely in dozenal. 10 / 2 = 6 (because a half of twelve is six).
This is because of the sheer number of factors twelve has. You can divide it by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and itself and get nice whole numbers, as opposed to ten, which can only be nicely divided by 1, 2, 5 and itself.
So in dozenal, 1 / 2 = 6 / 10 = 0.6, and 1 / 3 = 4 / 10 = 0.4, and 1 / 4 = 3 / 10 = 0.3, and 1 / 6 = 2 / 10 = 0.2.
These are much nicer decimals (dozemals?) to work with!
For another introduction to dozenal, consider Numberphile's video on the subject.
Further Counting
Once you pass 10 (do), you count as normal:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19...
Once you reach 19 (do-nine), you do as you did before and use those new symbols:
...1δ, 1Ɛ 20
This goes on and on, until you reach ƐƐ (el-do el), and after that is 100. Just like in decimal, 10x10=100, though remember that 10 here represents 12 in decimal, so in decimal, it would be 12x12=144.
Got that? In other words: 12 in decimal is 10 (do) in dozenal, and 144 in decimal is 100 in dozenal. But what do we call 100 in dozenal? Well, 144 in decimal is considered a "gross", so why don't we call it one "gro" for now.
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