Why 12? | Dozen | Dozenal Number System | Duodecimal Number System | Origin Of Base 12
Some mathematicians believe that switching to base 12 will make our math much easier to learn and use in our daily life.
Do you know why counting in twelves is easier and why are bananas sold by the dozen instead of by weight?
I͏d͏i͏o͏m͏ - T͏o͏ t͏a͏l͏k͏ n͏i͏n͏e͏t͏e͏e͏n͏ t͏o͏ t͏h͏e͏ d͏o͏z͏e͏n͏ : M͏e͏a͏n͏i͏n͏g͏ - t͏o͏ t͏a͏l͏k͏ e͏n͏d͏l͏e͏s͏s͏l͏y͏ o͏r͏ a͏t͏ g͏r͏e͏a͏t͏ s͏p͏e͏e͏d͏.
𝐃𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 | 𝐃𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 | 𝐃𝐮𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 | 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧
What's a dozen?
Dozen (दर्जन/doz/dz) A dozen is a grouping of twelve. (A group of twelve things of the exact nature)
The origin of dozen
The use of twelve as a base number, known as the duodecimal or the dozenal system originated in Mesopotamia. they used 12 as a unit of measurement. Mesopotamia is a historical region area. It occupies the area of present-day Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey.
Duodecimal system
The duodecimal system is composed of 12 digits, from 0 to 9, and then two additional digits are used to represent 10, and 11. ... So, counting the process of counting to 12 works like this: 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Ⅹ, Ɛ, 10.
Duodecimal VS Decimal system
The duodecimal system is a lot easier and more efficient to use than the base-10, mainly because 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6 but 10 is divisible only by 2, and 5.
The number 12 also had symbolic significance in the ancient world, because each year consists of approximately 12 lunar cycles.
Counting By Hand
Counting in base-12 can easily be accomplished on one's hands by counting each finger bone with one's thumb. Using this method, one hand can count to twelve.
Duodecimal system
Ⅹ = 10 Pronounced - as “deck”
Ɛ = 11 Pronounced - as “el”
10 = 12 Pronounced - as “ do" or "doh”
As 12 pronounce as doh and the Old French fem. suffix -aine is characteristically added to form collectives in a precise sense ("exactly 12," not "about 12")
The English word dozen comes from the old form douzaine*, a French word meaning "a group of twelve" English dozen, French douzaine, Catalan dotzena, Persian dowjin "دوجین“ Dutch dozijn, Arabic durzen "درزن", Turkish "düzine", German Dutzend, Italian dozzina and Polish tuzin India’s relations with the Arab world are very old. In ancient times Arab travellers used to do business with South Indian people. So we find innumerable Arabic words in languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati etc.
Impact of Arabic Language on Indian Languages
Some of the Arabic words which are commonly used in North Indian languages are as under: Kitab – Book, Qalam –Pen, Kursi – Chair, Khabar – News, Shayar – Poet, Wakil –Lawyer, Adalat – Court, Qanun- Law and Durzen - Dozen … Etc.
Idioms with Dozen
A baker’s dozen: a group of thirteen instead of twelve
.
Daily dozen: a short set of daily physical exercises, performed in sets of 12.
The Dozens: a game of spoken words between two contestants in which participants insult each other until one gives up.
By the dozen: in large quantities, not necessarily in units of 12.
Cheaper by the dozen: costing less when bought in quantity.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other: The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it doesn't matter which one we choose.
Dime a Dozen: To be common and cheap; easy to access and obtainable everywhere.
