AutoHotkey Community

veovis not logged in · Guest

lol, funny where this conversation has headed Laughing

Titan · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 5382 Location: /b/

In Britain we use DD-MM-YY/YYYY (where the date seperator can be a space, period, dash or forward slash) so we can never have a PI day Crying or Very sad

Laszlo · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4078 Location: Pittsburgh

It depends on the interpretation of the "floor". If it is, what you walk on, the American system makes sense. If it means an elevated, raised, added etc., floor, (like the German Stockwerk or Etage; the Hungarian Emelet), then the European notations are more logical. And it also depends on the tax system. Before the War, in Hungary buildings were taxed based on the number of "emelet"-s, so people quickly adopted the concept of szuterén (from souterrain) – floor partially under the ground level; ground floor; raised grand level; and mezzanine. Only after exhausting this list (and bribing the inspector), you ended up in the first floor, which could be the American fourth floor.

And the German date-notation system makes the least sense, not the most.

Titan · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 5382 Location: /b/

Taking the analogy of elements in an array, in the UK the first element is 0 whereas America would start at 1. The zeroth floor is the ground and the one above it is the first. This is why I find the American system less logical.

btw. I was referring to the German number format and not the date (hence the quote from BoBo). 'Seventy one' is easier to say than 'seventy and one' but the latter makes more sense as it clarifies that you have 70 units and 1, 71.
_________________

Laszlo · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4078 Location: Pittsburgh

The British traveler calls the steward and complains: I boarded with 4 pieces of luggage, and one is missing now. Count: 0, 1, 2 and 3…

…and why is it logical to say "one and seventy" (einundsiebzig)? The most important information is in the beginning, before you get tired and loose attention, so seventy should come first.

...but the German put often the most important part of the sentence in the end, so it fits to the logic of the language. (Ich liebe dich nicht vs. I don't love you vs. Nem szeretlek.)

Me · Guest

The German/Dutch and French systems of numbering are more consistent than the English/American one.

German/Dutch (translated): nine-teen, one-and-twenty (least significant number first)
French (translated): ten-nine, twenty-and-one (most significant number first)
English/American: nine-teen, twenty-one (hybrid)

Makes you wonder why we all try to speak English/American Wink

Btw, in Spanish, according to http://www.freetranslation.com/free/, "diecinueve" and "veintiuno", which is ten-nine, twenty-one, like the French system.

BoBo · Guest

BoBo · Guest

Me · Guest

toralf · Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 3841 Location: Bremen, Germany

E.g.
Q: What's the time?
A: 20 past 6
_________________
Ciao
toralf

Titan · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 5382 Location: /b/

Laszlo · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4078 Location: Pittsburgh

Conclusion: you all have to learn Hungarian. I am willing to give lectures with significant discount for registered members of the AHK community, BoBo, Me and Myself.

toralf · Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 3841 Location: Bremen, Germany

Where can I sign in?
_________________
Ciao
toralf

Laszlo · Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4078 Location: Pittsburgh

Just send me you bank account number and password.

Titan · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 5382 Location: /b/

Why Hungarian? Do you mean the Hungarian programming notation? I know Arabia, India and Italy were heavily involved in the histroy of mathmatics but I never heard of Hungaria...?
_________________