囧研究：11为啥英文不叫ONETEEN？

 English number words are pretty logical¹ after a point. From twenty-one to ninety-nine, the same principle applies: the tens place followed by the units place. But the teens² are different.

英文数字从某个数开始就相当符合逻辑。从21到29，运用的都是相同的理论:几十在前，后面跟着个位数字。但十几却并非如此。

Eleven and twelve come from the Old English words endleofan and twelf, which can be traced³ back further to a time when they were ain+lif and twa+lif.

11和12来自古英语endleofan和twelf，可以追溯到俩数字还写作ain+lif和 twa+lif的时候。

So then the question is, why don't we have threelif, fourlif, fiflif, sixlif and so on? The answer has to do with the development of number systems over history.

于是，问题来了，我们为何没没有threelif, fourlif, fiflif和sixlif 呢？答案和历史上数字体系的发展有关。

囧研究：11为啥英文不叫ONETEEN？

A long, long time ago, when the number words were first being formed, most people didn't have muchreason to distinguish⁴ numbers above ten. In fact, some languages of primitive⁵ cultures only have number words for one, two, and many. So the basic number words up to ten formed first, then they were extended⁷ a bit with the –lif ending.

很久很久以前数字刚刚形成的时候，多数人并没有太多能耐去辨识十以上的数字。事实上，有些原始文化的语言里表示数字的词只有一、二和许多。于是乎，先有了到十的基本数字，然后稍稍拓展，以–lif 结尾。

Many number systems are based on 12 because it's divisible by the most numbers, and because you can count to 12 on one hand by using your thumb to count three knuckles⁸ on each of the other fingers. If 11 and 12 are being used more frequently⁹, the forms for them will stick, even when another system starts to develop.

许多数字体系都是基于12的，因为12可以被多数数字约分，还因为你可以一只手仅靠大拇指，数每个指头的指节，就能数到12。要是11和12如今运用更广泛的话，其形式便会固定下来，即便有其它体系慢慢发展起来。

You can extend⁶ that idea to other number words. We have more irregularities of pronunciation in the tens (twenty, thirty, fifty instead of twoty, threety, fivety) because we've been making everyday use of those numbers for longer than we have for two hundred, three hundred, and five hundred). 。Thousand is an old word, but its original sense was "a great multitude," a non-numerically-specific, but very useful idea. The words we needed earliest, and used the most frequently are usually the most irregular.

这样思想可以类推到其它数字。几十的数字发音不规律(twenty, thirty, fifty 而不是twoty, threety, fivety)。一千是个古老的词，最初的意思是“量很大”，具体数值不详，但这一概念很有用。有些词汇我们很早就有需要、 使用频率最高，也恰是最不规则的。

So the short answer is, we created words for 11 and 12 a long time ago by calling them "one left after ten" and "two left after ten." They were more useful to us than the higher numbers, so we said them more and they became a habit that we couldn't shake.

所以，简单说来，人们很久以前创造出“十余一”和“十余二”这样的用语来表示11和12。比起更大的数字，11和12更为有用，所以我们说的也多，因为这已成为习惯难以改变。

1 logical   

adj.逻辑(上)的，符合逻辑的；合乎常理的

参考例句：

• It is logical that the book is expensive.书贵是很自然的事。
• This is undoubtedly logical.这显然是顺理成章的。

2 teens   

n.13至19岁的年龄；青少年

参考例句：

• His son is in his teens.他的儿子十几岁。
• She's not yet out of her teens.她还不到二十岁。

3 traced   

描绘( trace的过去式和过去分词 )； 追溯； 发现； 跟踪

参考例句：

• We finally traced him to an address in Chicago. 我们终于追查到他在芝加哥的一个地址。
• The names were traced out in stark black print. 这些名字是用醒目的黑体字印出的。

4 distinguish   

vt.区别，辩明，识别，辨认出；vi.区别，辨别，识别

参考例句：

• It is not easy to distinguish cultured pearls from genuine pearls.辨别真正的珍珠与养殖的珍珠不容易。
• Some people find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong.一些人认为很难辨对与错。

5 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

6 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。

7 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 knuckles   

n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝

参考例句：

• He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘，握得指关节都变白了。
• Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 frequently   

adv.常常，屡次，经常地，频繁地

参考例句：

• Please write to me frequently.请经常给我来信。
• I like that you should call on me frequently.我喜欢你经常来拜访我。