Piphilology
Encyclopedia
Piphilology comprises the creation and use of mnemonic
techniques to remember a span of digits of the mathematical constant
. The word is a play on Pi itself and the linguistic field of philology
.
There are many ways to memorize π, including the use of piems (a portmanteau
, formed by combining pi and poem), which are poems that represent π in a way such that the length of each word (in letters) represents a digit. Here is an example of a piem: How I need a drink, alcoholic of course [or, in nature] after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics. Notice how the first word has 3 letters, the second word has 1, the third has 4, the fourth has 1, the fifth has 5, and so on. In longer examples, 10-letter words are used to represent the digit zero
, and this rule is extended to handle repeated digits in so-called Pilish
writing. The Cadaeic Cadenza
records the first 3834 digits of π in this manner, and a 10,000-word novel, Not A Wake, has now been composed accordingly.
However, piems prove inefficient for large memorizations of pi. Other methods include remembering patterns in the numbers (for instance, the year 1971 appears in the first fifty digits of pi) and the method of loci
(used to memorize π to 65,536 digits).
Until the 20th century, the number of digits of pi which mathematician
s have had the stamina to calculate by hand remained in the hundreds, so that memorization of all known digits at the time was possible. In 1949 a computer was used to calculate π to 2000 places, presenting one of the earliest opportunities for a more difficult challenge.
Subsequent computers calculated pi to extraordinary numbers of digits (2.7 trillion as of August, 2010)
, and people began memorizing more and more of the output. The world record for the number of digits memorized has exploded since mid-century, and stands at 100,000 as of October 2006. The previous record (83,431) was set by the same person (Akira Haraguchi
) on July 2, 2005, and the record previous to that (42,195) was held by Hiroyuki Goto
.
An institution from Germany provides the details of the “Pi World Ranking”; see the website at http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com.
Short mnemonics such as these, of course, do not take one very far down π's infinite road. Rather, they are intended more as amusing doggerel
. If even less accuracy suffices, the following examples can be used:
This second one gives the value of π as 3.141592653, while the first only brings it to the second "5". Indeed, many published piems use truncation
instead of one of the several rounding
s, thereby producing a less accurate result when the first omitted digit is greater than or equal to 5. It is advantageous to use truncation in memorizing if the individual intends to study more places later on, otherwise one will be remembering erroneous digits.
Another mnemonic is:
In this mnemonic the word "point" represents the decimal point itself.
Yet another example is:
In this example, the spelling of Archimedes is altered so that it represents 9.
Longer mnemonics employ the same concept. This example created by Peter M. Brigham incorporates twenty decimal digits:
Another, more poetic version is:
A 30-digit extension of the same proceeds as follows:
There are minor variations on the above rhyme, which still allow pi to be worked out correctly. However, one variation replaces the word "lexicon's" with "lesson's" and in doing so, incorrectly indicates that the 18th digit is 7.
The logologist Dmitri Borgmann
gives the following 30-word poem in his book, Language on vacation: An olio of orthographical oddities:
The following sonnet
is a mnemonic for pi to 75 decimal places in iambic pentameter
:
Note that in this example, 10-letter words are used to represent the digit zero
.
, known as "Pilish
". For example, Poe, E.: Near a Raven represents 740 digits, Cadaeic Cadenza
encodes 3835, and Not A Wake extends to 10,000 digits.
composed the following arrangement for the first 100 digits,
_ _ _
3 point 1415 9265 35
^ ^
_ _ _ _ _ _ __
8979 3238 4626 4338 3279
** **^^ ^^ ****
. _ _ __ _ _ _ . _ .
502 884 197 169 399 375 105 820 974 944
^ ^ ^ ^
59230 78164
_ _ _ _
0628 6208 998 6280
^^ ^^ ^^
.. _ .._
34825 34211 70679,
^ ^
where the accents indicate various kinds of repetition.
Translation:
An interesting (not math themed) alternative:
Translation:
Another alternative:
English translation that doesn't encode pi:
Looser English translation that encodes pi:
Translation:
An alternative beginning:
Translation:
:
Translation:
Another. This piem gives π (correctly rounded) to 10 decimal places. (If you prefer to not round π, then replace "cosmos" with "cielo".)
Translation:
, there is a well-known phrase in the pre-1917-reform
orthography
of old tradition: "Кто и шутя, и скоро пожелаетъ «Пи» узнать число — ужѣ знаетъ." (The one who would wish to know the number Pi easily and quickly, already knows it.)
A more modern rhyme is:
A short approximation is: "Что я знаю о кругах?" (What do I know about circles?)
In addition, there are several non-folklore verses that simply rhyme the digits of Pi "as is"; for examples, see the Russian version of this article.
Or in Brazilian Portuguese:
A piem written in a more poetic manner:
Translation:
piphilology has countless mnemonics based on pun
ning words with numbers. This is especially easy in Japanese because there are two or three ways
to pronounce each digit, and the language has relatively few phoneme
s to begin with. For example, to 31 decimal places:
This is close to being ungrammatical nonsense, but a loose translation prioritizing word order yields:
Japanese children also use songs built on this principle to memorize the multiplication table
.
) for "five" (五 wǔ), "happiness" (樂 lè) for "six" (六 liù) and "eat" (吃 chī) for "seven" (七 qī), are not very close phonetically in Mandarin Chinese.
This can be translated as:
Lín a kapr u hráze prohlídli si rybáře, udici měl novou, jikrnáči neuplovou. (12 decimal places) — "Tench and carp by the dam watched the fisher. He has a new rod, fish will not escape."
Dej, ó Bože, a číslo Ludolfovo já navždy pomnu, pro větší naplnění moudrosti početní. (13 decimal places) — "Oh God, let me to remember the Pi forever, for the increase of mathematical skills."
Mám ó bože ó velký pamatovat si takový cifer řad, velký slovutný Archimedes, pomáhej trápenému, dej mu moc, nazpaměť nechť odříká ty slavné sice, ale tak protivné nám, ach, číslice Ludolfovy! (30 decimal places) — "Shall I, God oh almighty, remember such a long string of numbers, great and famous Archimedes, help my careworn being, give me the power, to recite by heart all the digits, which may be famous, but also hated by some of us, the digits of Ludolph van Ceulen."
Mnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
techniques to remember a span of digits of the mathematical constant
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
. The word is a play on Pi itself and the linguistic field of philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
.
There are many ways to memorize π, including the use of piems (a portmanteau
Portmanteau word
A portmanteau or portmanteau word is a blend of two words or morphemes into one new word. A portmanteau word typically combines both sounds and meanings, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog. More generally, it may refer to any term or phrase that combines two or more meanings...
, formed by combining pi and poem), which are poems that represent π in a way such that the length of each word (in letters) represents a digit. Here is an example of a piem: How I need a drink, alcoholic of course [or, in nature] after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics. Notice how the first word has 3 letters, the second word has 1, the third has 4, the fourth has 1, the fifth has 5, and so on. In longer examples, 10-letter words are used to represent the digit zero
0 (number)
0 is both a numberand the numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals.It fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, 0 is used as a placeholder in place value systems...
, and this rule is extended to handle repeated digits in so-called Pilish
Pilish
Pilish is a style of writing in which the lengths of consecutive words match the digits of the number . The following sentence is an example which matches the first fifteen digits of :...
writing. The Cadaeic Cadenza
Cadaeic Cadenza
Cadaeic Cadenza is a 1996 short story by Mike Keith. It is an example of constrained writing, a book with restrictions on how it can be written. It is also one of the most prodigious examples of piphilology, being written in "pilish"....
records the first 3834 digits of π in this manner, and a 10,000-word novel, Not A Wake, has now been composed accordingly.
However, piems prove inefficient for large memorizations of pi. Other methods include remembering patterns in the numbers (for instance, the year 1971 appears in the first fifty digits of pi) and the method of loci
Method of loci
The method of loci , also called the memory palace, is a mnemonic device introduced in ancient Roman rhetorical treatises . It relies on memorized spatial relationships to establish, order and recollect memorial content...
(used to memorize π to 65,536 digits).
History
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
s have had the stamina to calculate by hand remained in the hundreds, so that memorization of all known digits at the time was possible. In 1949 a computer was used to calculate π to 2000 places, presenting one of the earliest opportunities for a more difficult challenge.
Subsequent computers calculated pi to extraordinary numbers of digits (2.7 trillion as of August, 2010)
, and people began memorizing more and more of the output. The world record for the number of digits memorized has exploded since mid-century, and stands at 100,000 as of October 2006. The previous record (83,431) was set by the same person (Akira Haraguchi
Akira Haraguchi
Akira Haraguchi , a retired Japanese engineer, currently working as a mental health counsellor and business consultant in Mobara City, is known for memorizing and reciting digits of Pi....
) on July 2, 2005, and the record previous to that (42,195) was held by Hiroyuki Goto
Hiroyuki Goto
recited pi from memory to 42,195 decimal places at NHK Broadcasting Centre, Tokyo on 18 February 1995. This set the world record at the time, which was held for more than a decade until Lu Chao beat it in 2005.He is a game designer at Namco...
.
An institution from Germany provides the details of the “Pi World Ranking”; see the website at http://www.pi-world-ranking-list.com.
Examples in English
The most common mnemonic technique is to memorize a so-called "piem" (play on pi and poem) in which the number of letters in each word is equal to the corresponding digit of π. This famous example has several variations, including:- How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics!
- How I need a drink, alcoholic in nature, after the tough chapters involving quantum mechanics!
Short mnemonics such as these, of course, do not take one very far down π's infinite road. Rather, they are intended more as amusing doggerel
Doggerel
Doggerel is a derogatory term for verse considered of little literary value. The word probably derived from dog, suggesting either ugliness, puppyish clumsiness, or unpalatability in the 1630s.-Variants:...
. If even less accuracy suffices, the following examples can be used:
- How I wish I could recollect pi easily today!
- Can I have a large container of coffee? Thank you.
This second one gives the value of π as 3.141592653, while the first only brings it to the second "5". Indeed, many published piems use truncation
Truncation
In mathematics and computer science, truncation is the term for limiting the number of digits right of the decimal point, by discarding the least significant ones.For example, consider the real numbersThe result would be:- Truncation and floor function :...
instead of one of the several rounding
Rounding
Rounding a numerical value means replacing it by another value that is approximately equal but has a shorter, simpler, or more explicit representation; for example, replacing $23.4476 with $23.45, or the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression √2 with 1.414.Rounding is often done on purpose to...
s, thereby producing a less accurate result when the first omitted digit is greater than or equal to 5. It is advantageous to use truncation in memorizing if the individual intends to study more places later on, otherwise one will be remembering erroneous digits.
Another mnemonic is:
- The point I said a blind Bulgarian in France would know
In this mnemonic the word "point" represents the decimal point itself.
Yet another example is:
- How I wish I could recollect, of circle round, the exact relation Arkimedes learned
In this example, the spelling of Archimedes is altered so that it represents 9.
Longer mnemonics employ the same concept. This example created by Peter M. Brigham incorporates twenty decimal digits:
- How I wish I could enumerate pi easily, since all these bullshit mnemonics prevent recalling any of pi's sequence more simply.
Poems
Some mnemonics, such as this poem which gives the "3." and the first 20 decimal digits, use the separation of the poem's title and main body to represent the decimal point:- Pie
- I wish I could determine pi
- Eureka, cried the great inventor
- Christmas pudding, Christmas pie
- Is the problem's very center.
Another, more poetic version is:
- Sir, I have a rhyme excelling,
- In mystic power and magic spelling,
- Celestial spirits elucidate,
- For my own problems can't relate.
A 30-digit extension of the same proceeds as follows:
- Sir, I send a rhyme excelling,
- In sacred truth and rigid spelling,
- Numerical sprites elucidate,
- For me the lexicon's full weight,
- If nature gain, not you complain
- Tho' Dr Johnson fulminate.
There are minor variations on the above rhyme, which still allow pi to be worked out correctly. However, one variation replaces the word "lexicon's" with "lesson's" and in doing so, incorrectly indicates that the 18th digit is 7.
The logologist Dmitri Borgmann
Dmitri Borgmann
Dmitri A. Borgmann is an author best known for coining the word logology and for writing Language On Vacation: An Olio of Orthographical Oddities, published in 1965. This book led Ross Eckler and Trip Payne to join the National Puzzlers' League...
gives the following 30-word poem in his book, Language on vacation: An olio of orthographical oddities:
- Now, a moon, a lover refulgent in flight,
- Sails the black silence's loneliest ellipse.
- Computers use pi, the constant, when polite,
- Or gentle data for sad tracking aid at eclipse.
The following sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
is a mnemonic for pi to 75 decimal places in iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse and verse drama. The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet"...
:
- Now I defy a tenet gallantly
- Of circle canon law: these integers
- Importing circles' quotients are, we see,
- Unwieldy long series of cockle burs
- Put all together, get no clarity;
- Mnemonics shan't describeth so reformed
- Creating, with a grammercy plainly,
- A sonnet liberated yet conformed.
- Strangely, the queer'st rules I manipulate
- Being followéd, do facilitate
- Whimsical musings from geometric bard.
- This poesy, unabashed as it's distressed,
- Evolvéd coherent - a simple test,
- Discov'ring poetry no numerals jarred.
Note that in this example, 10-letter words are used to represent the digit zero
0 (number)
0 is both a numberand the numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals.It fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, 0 is used as a placeholder in place value systems...
.
Lengthier works
There are piphilologists who have written texts that encode hundreds or thousands of digits. This is an example of constrained writingConstrained writing
Constrained writing is a literary technique in which the writer is bound by some condition that forbids certain things or imposes a pattern.Constraints are very common in poetry, which often requires the writer to use a particular verse form....
, known as "Pilish
Pilish
Pilish is a style of writing in which the lengths of consecutive words match the digits of the number . The following sentence is an example which matches the first fifteen digits of :...
". For example, Poe, E.: Near a Raven represents 740 digits, Cadaeic Cadenza
Cadaeic Cadenza
Cadaeic Cadenza is a 1996 short story by Mike Keith. It is an example of constrained writing, a book with restrictions on how it can be written. It is also one of the most prodigious examples of piphilology, being written in "pilish"....
encodes 3835, and Not A Wake extends to 10,000 digits.
Sound-based mnemonics
It is also possible to use the rhythm and sound of the spoken digits themselves as a memorization device. The mathematician John Horton ConwayJohn Horton Conway
John Horton Conway is a prolific mathematician active in the theory of finite groups, knot theory, number theory, combinatorial game theory and coding theory...
composed the following arrangement for the first 100 digits,
_ _ _
3 point 1415 9265 35
^ ^
_ _ _ _ _ _ __
8979 3238 4626 4338 3279
** **^^ ^^ ****
. _ _ __ _ _ _ . _ .
502 884 197 169 399 375 105 820 974 944
^ ^ ^ ^
59230 78164
_ _ _ _
0628 6208 998 6280
^^ ^^ ^^
.. _ .._
34825 34211 70679,
^ ^
where the accents indicate various kinds of repetition.
Hungarian
- Nem a régi s durva közelítés,
- Mi szótól szóig így kijön
- Betűiket számlálva.
- Ludolph eredménye már,
- Ha itt végezzük húsz jegyen.
- De rendre kijő még tíz pontosan,
- Azt is bízvást ígérhetem.
Translation:
- It is not the old and rough approximation,
- What comes out word by word
- Counting their letters.
- Ludolph's result is already here,
- If we do it, on twenty digits.
- But come out ten more precisely
- I also promise definitely.
An interesting (not math themed) alternative:
- Bír-e, érez-e ember nyugalmat,
- Ha lelkét nehéz bús emlék zaklatja.
- Szüntelen felhőbe burkolózó idő az,
- Ami változni ámha akarna se tudhat,
- Mert azt nem írhattya már le halandó kívánsága.
Translation:
- Whether has, whether feels a man a peace of mind
- If his soul is harrased by heavy, sad memories.
- The continuously clouded time is,
- What cannot change although it want,
- Because it cannot be written by a mortal's desire.
Another alternative:
- Íme a szám: a görög periféria pi betűje.
- Euler meg Viète végtelen összeggel közelít értékéhez.
- Lám, őt már Egyiptom, Kína, Európa is akarta, hogy
- „ama kör kerülete úgy ki lehetne számlálva”.
Albanian
- Kur i hyej, e kryej, sigurisht, po përtoj andaj nuk fitoj — "If I start dealing with it, I will do it, but I am lazy therefore I do not win."
German
This statement yields π to nine decimal places:- Wie, o dies π macht ernstlich so vielen viele Müh
English translation that doesn't encode pi:
- How, oh this π seriously makes so many struggles to so many
Looser English translation that encodes pi:
- Woe! O this π makes seriously so muchly many's woe.
French
The following statement and question consists of words each with a number of letters that yields π to 126 decimal places:- Que j'aime à faire apprendre un nombre utile aux sages !
- Immortel Archimède, artiste ingénieur,
- Qui de ton jugement peut priser la valeur ?
- Pour moi, ton problème eut de pareils avantages.
- Jadis, mystérieux, un problème bloquait
- Tout l'admirable procédé, l'œuvre grandiose
- Que Pythagore découvrit aux anciens Grecs.
- Ô quadrature! Vieux tourment du philosophe
- Insoluble rondeur, trop longtemps vous avez
- Défié Pythagore et ses imitateurs.
- Comment intégrer l'espace plan circulaire ?
- Former un triangle auquel il équivaudra ?
- Nouvelle invention : Archimède inscrira
- Dedans un hexagone ; appréciera son aire
- Fonction du rayon. Pas trop ne s'y tiendra :
- Dédoublera chaque élément antérieur ;
- Toujours de l'orbe calculée approchera ;
- Définira limite ; enfin, l'arc, le limiteur
- De cet inquiétant cercle, ennemi trop rebelle
- Professeur, enseignez son problème avec zèle
Translation:
- How I like to teach this number useful to the wise.
- Immortal Archimedes, artist, engineer,
- in your opinion who could estimate its value?
- For me, your problem had equal advantages.
- Long ago, mysterious, a problem blocked
- All the honorable process, the great work
- That Pythagoras revealed to the Ancient Greeks.
- Oh quadrature! Old philosopher's torment
- Unsolvable roundness, for too long you have
- Defied Pythagoras and his imitators.
- How to integrate the plain circular space?
- Form a triangle to which it is equivalent?
- New invention: Archimedes will inscribe
- Inside a hexagon; will appreciate its area
- Function of a ray. Not too much to hold onto there:
- Will split each previous element;
- Always the calculated orb will approach
- Will define the limit; finally, the arc, the limiter
- Of this disturbing circle, an enemy too rebellious
- Teacher, teach its problem with zeal
An alternative beginning:
- Que j'aime à faire apprendre un nombre utile aux sages !
- Glorieux Archimède, artiste, ingénieur,
- Toi de qui Syracuse aime encore la gloire,
- Soit ton nom conservé par de savants grimoires !
- ...
Katharevousa (archaizing) Greek
Yielding π to 22 decimal places:- Ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὀ Μέγας γεωμετρεῖ,
- τὸ κύκλου μῆκος ἵνα ὁρίσῃ διαμέτρῳ,
- παρήγαγεν ἀριθμὸν ἀπέραντον,
- καὶ ὅν, φεῦ, οὐδέποτε ὅλον θνητοὶ θὰ εὕρωσι
Translation:
- The Great God applies geometry forever;
- To define the length of the circle using its diameter,
- He produced an infinite number,
- Which, alas, mortals will never find in its entirety.
Spanish
The following piem, giving π to 31 decimal places, is well known in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
:
- Fue y cayó. Y queda solamente la inútil cifra con pocos destinos poderosos, tristes devenires sin el más sencillo bien. Idiota, re idiota, sabe que sus encantos son ya latosos decimales. Pobre...
Translation:
- It went and it fell. And only the useless figure remains, with little powerful destinies, sad future without the simplest goodness. Idiotic, very idiotic, it knows that its charms are now boring decimals. Poor...
Another. This piem gives π (correctly rounded) to 10 decimal places. (If you prefer to not round π, then replace "cosmos" with "cielo".)
- Sol y luna y mundo proclaman al eterno Autor del Cosmos.
Translation:
- Sun and moon and world proclaim the eternal Author of the Cosmos. (Or "heaven", not Cosmos, if using "cielo".)
Irish
Níl i mata, a shaoi, eolaíocht nó feidhm. (7 decimal places) — "Wise one, mathematics has neither science nor use."Russian
In the Russian languageRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, there is a well-known phrase in the pre-1917-reform
Reforms of Russian orthography
The reform of Russian orthography refers to changes made to the Russian alphabet over the course of the history of the Russian language.- Early Changes :...
orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
of old tradition: "Кто и шутя, и скоро пожелаетъ «Пи» узнать число — ужѣ знаетъ." (The one who would wish to know the number Pi easily and quickly, already knows it.)
A more modern rhyme is:
-
- Это я знаю и помню прекрасно,
- I know the following and remember it perfectly,
- Пи многие знаки мне лишни, напрасны.
- Multitudes of the digits of Pi are unnecessary and idle for me.
A short approximation is: "Что я знаю о кругах?" (What do I know about circles?)
In addition, there are several non-folklore verses that simply rhyme the digits of Pi "as is"; for examples, see the Russian version of this article.
Polish
Był i jest i wieki sławionym ów będzie, który kół obwód średnicą wymierzył. (13 decimal places) — "There was, and there is, and through centuries renowned will be, who circle's circumference measured with its diameter."Portuguese
- Cai a neve e novas ferrovias de marfim serão por casas trocadas. (11 decimal places) — "The snow falls and new ivory railroads will be exchanged by houses."
Or in Brazilian Portuguese:
- Sim, é útil e fácil memorizar um número grato aos sábios. — "Yes, it's useful and easy to memorize a number dear to the wisemen."
- Nós e todo o mundo guardamos pi usando letra por número. — "We and all the world memorize pi using letter for number."
- Sou o medo e temor constante do menino vadio. — "I'm the constant fear and dread of the stray boy."
A piem written in a more poetic manner:
- Sou o amor,
- o homem impetuoso da libido
- Homem que ataca mulheres atraentes,
- meninas pecadoras que no céu imiscuem amor, paixão, fé, desejo, tudo!
- Até que idolatro com as sereias pecadoras tanta fé!
- Esbeltas mulheres para o musculado,
- sereias e fêmeas pecadoras
- Até idolatram serpentes com ardente macho.
- O viril desejará as pecadoras iníquas doravante para amar.
Translation:
- I am the love,
- The impetuous man from the libido
- Man who attacks attractive women,
- sinfull maidens who on heaven intrude love, passion, faith, desire, everything!
- I even idolize with the mermaids so much faith!
- Luscious women for the brawny,
- sinfull mermaids and females
- They even idolize serpents with the burning buck.
- The virile man will wish the sinfull and the iniquitous henceforth to love.
Japanese
JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
piphilology has countless mnemonics based on pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
ning words with numbers. This is especially easy in Japanese because there are two or three ways
Japanese numerals
The system of Japanese numerals is the system of number names used in the Japanese language. The Japanese numerals in writing are entirely based on the Chinese numerals and the grouping of large numbers follow the Chinese tradition of grouping by 10,000...
to pronounce each digit, and the language has relatively few phoneme
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
s to begin with. For example, to 31 decimal places:
| 身 | 一つ | 世 | 一つ | 生 | く | に | 無 | 意 | 味 | い | わ | く | な | く | 身 | ふ | み | や | 読 | む | 似 | ろ | よ | さん | ざん | 闇 | に | な | く | |
| 3. | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| mi | hitotsu | yo | hitotsu | iku | ni | mu-imi | iwakunaku | mi | fumiya | yomu | niro | yo | san | zan | yami | ni | naku | |||||||||||||
This is close to being ungrammatical nonsense, but a loose translation prioritizing word order yields:
- A person is one; the world is one:
- to live this way, it's meaningless, one says, and cries,
- "step on it, will ya!" then reads—be the same!
- Crying uncontrollably in the dark.
Japanese children also use songs built on this principle to memorize the multiplication table
Multiplication table
In mathematics, a multiplication table is a mathematical table used to define a multiplication operation for an algebraic system....
.
Chinese
It is possible to construct piphilogical poems in Chinese by using homophones or near-homophones of the numbers zero through nine, as in the following well known example which covers 22 decimal places of π. In this example the character meaning "mountain" (山 shān) is used to represent the number "three" (三 sān), the character meaning "I" (吾 wú) is used to represent the number "five" (五 wǔ), and the characters meaning "temple" (寺 sì) and "die" (死 sǐ) are used to represent the number "four" (四 sì). Some of the mnemonic characters used in this poem, for example "kill" (殺 shā) for "three" (三 sān), "jug" (壺 húHu (vessel)
A hu is a type of pear-shaped ritual wine bronze vessel from ancient China. They would be placed in the grave of an ancestor as part of ritual banquet in order to ensure the good favor of that ancestor's spirit...
) for "five" (五 wǔ), "happiness" (樂 lè) for "six" (六 liù) and "eat" (吃 chī) for "seven" (七 qī), are not very close phonetically in Mandarin Chinese.
| 山 | 巔 | 一 | 寺 | 一 | 壺 | 酒 |
| shān | diān | yī | sì | yī | hú | jiǔ |
| 3 | . | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| 爾 | 樂 | 苦 | 煞 | 吾 | ||
| ěr | lè | kǔ | shā | wú | ||
| 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 把 | 酒 | 吃 | 酒 | 殺 | 爾 | |
| bǎ | jiǔ | chī | jiǔ | shā | ěr | |
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 2 | |
| 殺 | 不 | 死 | 樂 | 爾 | 樂 | |
| shā | bù | sǐ | lè | ěr | lè | |
| 3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
This can be translated as:
- On a mountain top a temple and a jug of wine.
- Your happiness makes me so bitter;
- Take some wine and drink, the wine will kill you;
- If it does not kill you, I will rejoice in your happiness.
Turkish
Sen, o alan o çevre bölününce ve sonsuz rakam ile çıkan değişken dizilimli sayısın. — "You are the number with infinite digits in changing order, which is found when the circumference and the area is divided."Czech
Sám u sebe v hlavě magického pí číslic deset mám. (9 decimal places) — "I have ten digits of magical Pi in my head."Lín a kapr u hráze prohlídli si rybáře, udici měl novou, jikrnáči neuplovou. (12 decimal places) — "Tench and carp by the dam watched the fisher. He has a new rod, fish will not escape."
Dej, ó Bože, a číslo Ludolfovo já navždy pomnu, pro větší naplnění moudrosti početní. (13 decimal places) — "Oh God, let me to remember the Pi forever, for the increase of mathematical skills."
Mám ó bože ó velký pamatovat si takový cifer řad, velký slovutný Archimedes, pomáhej trápenému, dej mu moc, nazpaměť nechť odříká ty slavné sice, ale tak protivné nám, ach, číslice Ludolfovy! (30 decimal places) — "Shall I, God oh almighty, remember such a long string of numbers, great and famous Archimedes, help my careworn being, give me the power, to recite by heart all the digits, which may be famous, but also hated by some of us, the digits of Ludolph van Ceulen."