Usage
Many languages use quinary number systems, including Gumatj, Nunggubuyu, Kuurn Kopan Noot and Saraveca. Of these, Gumatj is the only true "5–25" language known, in which 25 is the higher group of 5. The Gumatj numerals are shown below:
| Number | Base 5 | Numeral |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | wanggany |
| 2 | 2 | marrma |
| 3 | 3 | lurrkun |
| 4 | 4 | dambumiriw |
| 5 | 10 | wanggany rulu |
| 10 | 20 | marrma rulu |
| 15 | 30 | lurrkun rulu |
| 20 | 40 | dambumiriw rulu |
| 25 | 100 | dambumirri rulu |
| 50 | 200 | marrma dambumirri rulu |
| 75 | 300 | lurrkun dambumirri rulu |
| 100 | 400 | dambumiriw dambumirri rulu |
| 125 | 1000 | dambumirri dambumirri rulu |
| 625 | 10000 | dambumirri dambumirri dambumirri rulu |
A decimal system with 5 as a sub-base is called biquinary, and is found in Wolof and Khmer. A vigesimal system with 5 as a sub-base is found in Nahuatl and the Maya numerals.
Roman numerals are a biquinary system. The numbers 1, 5, 10, and 50 are written as I, V, X, and L respectively. Eight is VIII and seventy is LXX.
The Chinese and Japanese versions of the abacus use a biquinary system to simulate a decimal system for ease of calculation.
Urnfield culture numerals and some tally mark systems are also biquinary.
Units of currencies are commonly partially or wholly biquinary.
In the video game Riven and subsequent games of the Myst franchise, the D'ni language uses a quinvigesimal numeral system, in which two sub-bases of 5, with one being a multiplier of the other, are used.
Read more about this topic: Quinary
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