• federalreverse-old
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    1 year ago

    1.5 is “half second”, 2.5 is “half third”, 4.5 is “half fifth”

    Interesting. Regionally, some Germans measure time like this, i.e. “half two” is 01:30 resp. 13:30. (Which is different from English, where people who say “half two” mean “half past two”.)

    We’ve since made the “times twenty” implicit for maximum confusion, so it’s just said as “two and half fifths”.

    I know very little about Danish, but I learned that Danes slur the middle of most words. So I suspect you actually pronounce even less of the word than you’d write…?

    Because language is stubborn.

    Belgian French gives me hope.

    [Edited: Usage is not regional]

    • @[email protected]
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      171 year ago

      Regionally, some Germans measure time like this, i.e. “half two” is 01:30 resp. 13:30.

      This isn’t regional nor “some”, I never met a German wo doesn’t. Sure, there is “13 o’clock 30” and both are valid but I’d say the default is still the half system.

      When it comes to quarters, there are regional differences and it’s a common “ice breaker” or small talk topic when people from all over Germany come together.

    • @SmoothOperator
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      1 year ago

      When we say “half two” we also mean 13:30. It’s a pain when in Britain.

      And yeah, I guess in pronouncing you’d say 92 as “to’å’l’fems” rather than “to-og-halv-fems”.

    • @[email protected]
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      81 year ago

      It’s pronounced “toh-år-hal-fems”.

      That’s 3 syllables, because the first two are glissando, but even the most rural person needs some consonants between the rest to make any sense.

    • @[email protected]
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      01 year ago

      I’ve run into Americans for whom “half two” means 13:30. I like it but it confuses everyone.