I went to school in India, and we learned the multiplication tables with a chant that involved a postfix operator called "zaar":
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I went to school in India, and we learned the multiplication tables with a chant that involved a postfix operator called "zaar":
two one zaar two
two two zaar four
two three zaar six
two four zaar eight
two five zaar ten
two six zaar twelve
…We just accepted such a postfix operator as the most natural thing, and freely used it when talking to each other: “what is seven six zaar?” (42)
Some of us were adults before realizing (and some probably never realizing) that these “tables” we all sang as children had probably started as:
two ones are two
two twos are four
…@svat It's almost Reverse Polish Notation, such as older HP calculators used. For example, 2x6 is keyed as 2 ^enter^ 6 ^enter^ x which gives 12.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_Polish_notation -
@riggbeck @svat my children are made to play https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button - quickfire times tables questions - and compete on speed. Less dull than chanting but they still hate it
The problem may be with 'made to play'.
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@timjan @thechris @tessarakt @weekend_editor @svat caught the hint, still didn't catch the meaning.
@iris @timjan @thechris @tessarakt @weekend_editor @svat If I understood the story, then in other words:
The points mentioned would be P, A and B, but due to dialect and the structure of the language someone just listening misses the P, because of the phonetical similarity or homophone nature of how P and B are spoken in that dialect. Does it make sense?
I happen to speak a language that doesn't have native words with "b" and when I say my name, starting with "p", German speaker hear "b". -
The problem may be with 'made to play'.
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I went to school in India, and we learned the multiplication tables with a chant that involved a postfix operator called "zaar":
two one zaar two
two two zaar four
two three zaar six
two four zaar eight
two five zaar ten
two six zaar twelve
…We just accepted such a postfix operator as the most natural thing, and freely used it when talking to each other: “what is seven six zaar?” (42)
Some of us were adults before realizing (and some probably never realizing) that these “tables” we all sang as children had probably started as:
two ones are two
two twos are four
…@svat
Calling @gretchenmcc this would make an amazing @lingthusiasm anecdote / bonus ep? -
J jwcph@helvede.net shared this topic
