| |
| | Eldarin Numerals |
 | | What is outlined here does not really resemble a duodecimal counting system, but at this time LOTR Appendix D with the statement the Eldar preferred to reckon in sixes and twelves as far as possible was published already, so Tolkien felt he had to give some kind of clarification. |
 | | But already in Common Eldarin, the multiples of three, especially six and twelve, were considered specially important, for general arithmetic reasons, and eventually besides the decimal numeration a complete duodecimal system was devised for calculations, some of which, such as the special words for 12 (dozen), 18, and 144 (gross), were in general use. |
 | | Studying the development of single numerals from the Qenya Lexcion to the Early Qenya Grammar, the Etymologies and finally to 'Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals', it is remarkable how little change some of the numerals have undergone, cf. |
| www.phy.duke.edu /~trenk/elvish/numerals.html (5547 words) |
|