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Round numbers

Sigurd, Bengt LU (1988) In Language in Society 17(2). p.243-252
Abstract
Numbers are used for exact and approximative estimations. The numbers used in approximative expressions are typically so-called round numbers, such as 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 100, 1,000, and such numbers are also very frequent in texts. This article presents evidence that some numbers are rounder than others and discusses how the roundness of a number can be derived from its contents of the base number of the numeral System of the culture. A formula for deriving the roundness of a number is suggested, and some evidence that intuitions about roundness vary between vigesimal and decimal cultures as predicted by the formula is given. (Number, numeral, decimal, vigesimal, money, anthropology, sociolinguistics, language and culture, English,... (More)
Numbers are used for exact and approximative estimations. The numbers used in approximative expressions are typically so-called round numbers, such as 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 100, 1,000, and such numbers are also very frequent in texts. This article presents evidence that some numbers are rounder than others and discusses how the roundness of a number can be derived from its contents of the base number of the numeral System of the culture. A formula for deriving the roundness of a number is suggested, and some evidence that intuitions about roundness vary between vigesimal and decimal cultures as predicted by the formula is given. (Number, numeral, decimal, vigesimal, money, anthropology, sociolinguistics, language and culture, English, French, Swedish) (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Language in Society
volume
17
issue
2
pages
243 - 252
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84971995954
ISSN
1469-8013
DOI
10.1017/S0047404500012781
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5f33082d-a122-49a8-b260-43dc7fea7539
date added to LUP
2021-07-02 09:40:00
date last changed
2023-11-08 17:39:08
@article{5f33082d-a122-49a8-b260-43dc7fea7539,
  abstract     = {{Numbers are used for exact and approximative estimations. The numbers used in approximative expressions are typically so-called round numbers, such as 10, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 100, 1,000, and such numbers are also very frequent in texts. This article presents evidence that some numbers are rounder than others and discusses how the roundness of a number can be derived from its contents of the base number of the numeral System of the culture. A formula for deriving the roundness of a number is suggested, and some evidence that intuitions about roundness vary between vigesimal and decimal cultures as predicted by the formula is given. (Number, numeral, decimal, vigesimal, money, anthropology, sociolinguistics, language and culture, English, French, Swedish)}},
  author       = {{Sigurd, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{1469-8013}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{243--252}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Language in Society}},
  title        = {{Round numbers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500012781}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0047404500012781}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{1988}},
}